


Between the Walls and the Whiskey

by dannie333



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Porn, Dominance, F/M, Interracial Relationship, Love, Minor Violence, Race, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2015-05-08
Packaged: 2018-03-19 08:15:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 35,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3602901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dannie333/pseuds/dannie333
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A young girl from America comes to work at the Garisson for Thomas and the Shelby family. She is quiet but strong and capable, eventually becoming an integral part of the family and of course thomas. But in the begining She has a lot to overcome, namely, the color of her skin, and the undeniable pull of mr. shelby. Things eventually get very, very steamy. But there is love where there is lust!</p><p>This happens in the world world of peaky blinders, but really doesn't follow any plot lines, other than the basic set up of the show. I'm writting more chapters that I'll post soon!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

        "She can't work here Tommy, I know Jeremiah's one of your mates, he's been workin' with us for a long time now. Hell, he's like family. But... it just isn't right."

         Thomas Shelby looked up at his older brother, the frantic worry in Arthur's glassy eyes made him look every bit as mad as he really was

         John, the youngest of the three, stood beside him with his arms crossed, a toothpick held between his lips pointed up and down, his jaw muscles working , as he held back his own opinion on the matter.

         Tommy knew this was coming, he'd known it the moment he told Jeremiah Jesus that his niece could be expected at work tonight. The news of her had traveled faster than he'd anticipated but he was far from surprised.  
          With a few words he could silence the family on the topic for good, but he wouldn't hush them like dogs. He liked a bit of a fight every once in a while, and he didn't mind it now because nothing they could say would change his mind.  
Jeremiah was a good man who’d done a lot of work with him, he could be counted on in a fight and had been there to help when things got out of hand with rival gangs. He was without question one of Tommy’s most loyal friends, and he would not let him down now.  
         "Alright Arthur." Tommy said sitting up. He grabbed his glass of whiskey and took a quick swallow of the stuff. It left a familiar trail of fire down his throat ending with an explosion of warmth in his belly. "You go on, tell Jeremiah that we wont take her on because she's the wrong color. Go on and tell him yourself. It's your bar after all." He said, blue eyes fixed calmly on the now sweating older brother.  
         Arthur began to fidget, the idea of heavy responsibility instantly overwhelming to him . He took a step back, ran a callused hand through his flopping hair, crossed his arms then uncrossed them. He looked to his little brother John, then back to Tommy. It became obvious to them all that he had nothing to say because nothing could be said. He couldn't do it. No matter how wrong he thought it was, he knew just like Tommy, that if they could have Isaiah and Jeremiah on the payroll, they could have the girl.  
         With a sigh and a shove off the edge of the table, Arthur shook his head and gave up the fight. "Fine," He said turning to go, but stopped and turned on his heels to add. "But she's not allowed behind the bar. None of the men will drink if she pours."  
         Tommy nodded over his glass, but ignored his brothers illogical comment. In fact he had already moved on, his mind busy working on things more important than what the men might think of the new serving girl. But for her sake he hoped she was quick on her feet and brave enough for life in the Garrison.  
**

          The night brought out the worst in people, and Cecilia knew it as she shut the door of her uncles house behind her. She stood clutching her small pocket book looking up and down the street before stepping out into the cool night air. She would just have to keep her eyes open, and her head clear as she walked the unfamiliar streets  
          It was late, but not late enough that people had gone to bed. It was in fact, just the right time to begin this sort of work.  
          Back home she liked being at the bar before the crowd would trickle in. It gave her time to set up and get ready, mentally and physically, though she knew serving at The Garrison would be different from life at the place down Miller's road.            
         She also knew the sort of men that owned the Garrison, had known types just like them back home. The only difference was the color of their skin, and even that didn't always matter. Trouble is trouble, no matter how it looks on the outside. And her own uncle was mixed up in it. She worried for him, but had he not known the Shelby's she might never have gotten this job.  
         And while Cecilia hated the violence and the ridiculous cock strutting, she couldn't ignore her own pull to the life style. Comfort and a sense of protection brought on by being in with the right family was appealing in some respects, though watching a gun fight or seeing a man stabbed to death was something she could have done without. And both had already happened back home outside of the old bar.  
         People glanced at her as she quickly and quietly made her way through the streets towards her destination. Surely they knew who she was, having arrived only a week ago from the states, but it was clear that actually seeing her was something different all together.  
         Her uncle and cousin were the only two blacks in the area. And though her skin was almost as light as Isaiah’s, she still carried enough of a natural tan that she made heads turn as she walked by.  
        No one said a word to her though, and while she knew prejudice wasn't the same here as it was in America, to experience it was fascinating. A few men stood up a little straighter as she passed, their eyes full of crude curiosity, but they didn't dare touch her, no filthy remarks followed her. She had those Shelby boys to thank for that no question.  
        Having only met John and his wife briefly, she didn't know what the others were like, but guessed them to be well enough considering the acceptance of her job proposal.  
        The Garrison was now one of the nicest pubs, if not the nicest for miles, and with business at an all time high, they needed an extra hand. It would have been foolish to turn down the help, after all Cecilia already had the experience and the stomach for life inside a bar.  
        And so she went through the dimly lit streets, head high, heart racing, the heels of her shoes clicking against the cobbles as she made her way towards her first shift.

**  
        The knock at the door was soft and unexpected. Guest were usually invited in before hand or led in, either by Tommy or his brothers. He glanced over at John who shrugged then looked back at the small silhouette behind the frosted glass.  
        Tommy quickly realized that It was her. The girl who'd gotten his brother in a huff this morning." Come in." He said sitting back and taking a hit of the cigarette held tight between his fingers.  
        The door opened and she stepped inside, his eyes fixed firmly on the girl that stood before him, small and straight in the doorway.  
        Was she what he’d been expecting? No, no not at all. He thought. She didn't look like her uncle, and not like her cousin for that matter. She was darker, and that might be bad for her, but what she lacked in fair skin, she more than made up for in beauty. Her large brown eyes were lined with thick, curled lashes. She had hair as black as pitch, wavy and soft, pulled back with pins, though a few curly strands had found their way loose. Her full mouth turned up at the corners giving her a sort of permanent smile, but the way she looked down at him said that she could more than handle herself out there with a bunch of drunken bastards.  
        She did show him a real smile then and gently shut the door behind her. With the noise of the crowd shut out, she turned to him again. "I just wanted to thank you personally for giving me the job. It really means a lot, and I know it's not an easy choice to take me on, I know a lot of the men wont like it. But for the ones that will, I promise to be well worth my wages."  
        He let a smile dart across his own face and noticed she was holding a canter of whiskey on her tray, and so he slowly pushed his glass towards her with a finger.  
        She watched him, then with an ease that made him sit up a little straighter, she poured the liquor into the glass, and slid it back into his waiting palm.  
       "You work hard for us, and we'll make sure everyone likes you." John said paying no attention to their exchange.  
        Cecilia's eyes shot across the small room with the realization that Tommy wasn't the only one here. "Thank you." She said in a voice so sweet that on any other woman would have seemed contrived. But he could see it, sense it. That was her. Sweet, but not to be underestimated. A short woman with finely muscled arms, and an elegant neck that held her head high and steady Her small hands gripped that whiskey like they'd been made to pour him a thousand drinks.  
        And then Thomas Shelby realized that he was still looking at her, and she at him.  
        "Thank you, Cecilia." He said dismissing her.  
        She nodded and turned, her tray held with hand and hip. Tommy saw her pause, the profile of her face giving away her desire to look back at him one more time, but she just smiled to herself, and shut the door behind her.

**  
        The end of the night came quickly, Cecilia was certain she'd done a fine job. The crowd was rough, but well enough considering. The men made rude comments and sadly attempted to buy her for the night, but only a few, and they eventually got the point that she wasn't for sale, nor amused by their remarks, and most importantly, in with the family that owned the establishment.  
        Feeling quite accomplished, after a night of keeping a bar full of men happy, she was a little confused as to why the bartender told her Mr. Shelby wanted her to wait and speak with him before she left for the night.  
        It had become painfully obvious, most notably in her feet and back that the break she’d taken from serving was not doing her any favors. She'd stopped working to help her sick mother, combined with the time it took to travel to Birmingham it had been long enough that she'd forgotten the strain the late nights can take on the body. And it was most certainly late, late enough that she wanted nothing more than to crawl into her bed and sleep until midday.  
        "How long did you serve at your last pub?" Thomas had come out of his hiding place and appeared like a vision at the end of the bar. He was slightly drunk , but still alert and very much able to intimidate her, though she refused to let him see.  
       "Almost a year." She answered softly and finished slipping on her coat while he walked to the middle of the bar and stubbed out a cigarette in a crystal tray.  
        He nodded and motioned for her to come to him, which she did with slow and deliberate steps.  
        A foot away, he turned, took a breath and gazed down on her. His eyes more blue than any sky she'd ever seen though they where half lidded and as ready for sleep as she was, seemed to burrow deep into her own. When Tommy looked at her, she felt like he was working out all the puzzles of her brain. It make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. It took only one cold glare from him for her to understand how and why he’d risen to such heights in the world of gambling and all around hooliganism so quickly.  
        "An advance." He said and she realized his hand resting on the bar, was also holding a few notes in place. "You've done fine.” He said, with a nod, the tips of his fingers tapping the money. “The men weren't easy on you tonight, but you didn't let them wear you down."  
         She smiled and shook her head. “No, not after one night. Never!” She laughed “It would take a lot more than that." She rolled her eyes amused by the thought of them besting her, and chanced looking up at Tommy.  
         He was still just staring at her, and she immediately second guessed her words, but somewhere, in those blue pools, she saw a hint of something akin to kindness, and maybe something else. She could only hope it was respect. Coming from him that would really be something.  
         "Thank you,” She said clearing her throat and squaring her shoulders as she tried to seem more reserved. “ But I wouldn't want you to think that i'll always expect this. I want to make my way, and be paid the same as everyone else. I'll wait until the end of the week to be fair."  
        He gave her a funny look, like maybe she'd piqued his curiosity, but only nodded with understanding.  
        Tommy sat down at one the tall chairs and lit a cigarette. "Is there anything else you can do?" He asked.  
       "What do you mean?” She said studying the back of his head, and his profile.  
       "Have you done any other work, or were you born serving in a bar?" He asked with a bit of snark.  
       "I've done other things, cleaned, watched after babies... I-I helped my uncle a few times." She said completely aware of what he was implying.  
       "Your uncle Jeremiah?" He asked glancing at her.   
       "Yes, when he came to see his sister, my mother. He needed help with a few things, and so, i helped him." She was no stranger to this life. It wasn't pleasant but she knew it well enough.  
        Nodding slowly and taking a drag, he blew the smoke out through his parted lips before speaking again. "You don't need to offer anything you aren't comfortable with, but you are part of this now. You know that."  
       She nodded.  
      "Good." He said and sipped whiskey that she hadn't noticed in his other hand. " You'll be paid at the end of the week as you've requested." He said, and with one last flash of blue and a cold smile, he put out the cigarette, stood and walked away, leaving his whiskey behind.

**  
       The weeks went on as did her work, and the weeks quickly became months.  
       Serving at the bar was surprisingly easy. As was life in the town. Without the liberty to shun her for fear of retaliation from the Shelby’s, people actually got to know her instead. And so when shopping at the market or stopping at the store, she was greeted with smiles instead of prejudice and began to know people by name. She was beginning to feel at home in Birmingham, and The Garrison.  
        life in the bar had become a familiar routine that she welcomed as she made her evening walk to the grand square building just past the eternal flame of the factory.  
       The Shelby brothers handled business in their room near the door, and she, always watchful, made sure to see who was coming and going. Why, she didn't know, but it felt good to be mindful of her surroundings. She learned that the man with the black coat and Beaver hat came only on Friday nights, and the two men with beards came on Sunday afternoons before they closed. She knew about the horses and book keeping, but she didn't know what other business ventures the men were currently involved in, but so long as she was safe, she didn't care. Cecilia was content to tend bar and live a pleasant life in the lively but dark little part of town.  
        She was also content with the friendship that had slowly formed with Thomas Shelby.  
        At the end of each night, when he was there, he would come out and sit at the middle of the bar and talk to her. They didn’t say a lot at first, and the conversations were a little stifled, but she could make him laugh with stories about her own night and that made her happy. She was always careful not to pry to deeply into his affairs, and out of respect he didn’t ask about hers outside of the usual. He made sure she was comfortable at home, that they were paying her well enough to eat good food and wear warm, good clothes. And she would reassure him that she and her uncle and cousin were living a life of luxury.  
       And then one night, Tommy only gave her a nod before leaving. He looked angry and she was sure something was happening. She stood, broom in hand staring at the wooden doors as they shut behind him, not at all ashamed that she wanted to follow him, to watch him at work, his real work. She wanted to know the things that went on outside the safety of these walls.  
       Possibly feeling brave without a Shelby in earshot, the bartender told her then that it was a little odd, their friendship, and that she should be very careful. He said the way Tommy was when the bar was empty and it was just the two of them, was not the real Tommy Shelby. That he could be horribly violent, and their lives were full of danger.  
         Her sweeping had become an absent minded movement of brushing the tips of the bristles across the floor. She didn't even realize she still held the thing, because the man's words had struck a nerve. And Cecilia believed him, but she chose to push the truth aside preferring instead to just enjoy the way her heart began to jump at the sound of Tommy closing the door to the sitting room and the end of the night. She would slip on her coat like she was going to leave, but instead would casually slide it over the back of her chair as he sat pouring himself a drink, and once or twice he would pour one for her.  
         It might have been a little unconventional for a thug like him, but she was happy to know his lighter side. The side that sometimes smiled and slowly began to talk to her without hesitation.  
         
        Seven months to the date, her anniversary of employment, shouting came from the little room, and she stopped , ears perked, hands gripping a bottle. She'd never been in a bar fight, and she wouldn't go down in one either. From the volume and content being thrown back and forth between the men, she was sure one would break out soon.  
        The doors had flown open and a large man came stumbling out. Tommy and Arthur followed after him looking only slightly disheveled. The man tried to say something, but Tommy hit him once, so fast his fist was a blur. One good solid blow to the face, and blood was drawn. The man held his nose cursing Tommy and Arthur, before he said something else that Cecilia couldn't understand, and Tommy hit him again. Same spot, just as hard. The man staggered, his moaning awful before he found his footing and turned, stumbling out of the door, the entire bar was held in wrapt silence. All eyes on the Shelby brothers.  
        Cecilia would never forget the way Tommy looked as he stood up straight, his back to them all. The jacket of his suit was a little wrinkled, and she saw the blood drip from his fist.  
He looked back over his shoulder, and her face like a beacon among the crowd was easy for him to find.  
         His hair was a mess of thick dark brown, his eyes were alive and beaming and fixed on her holding her still and steady with the energy between them. It wasn't until she felt the tug of her dress and the request for more beer, that she pulled away from his gaze and looked down at the thirsty old man.  
         That night had been odd. He never fought inside, she never saw him fight at all actually, though there was no doubt he and his brothers did their fair share of brutality. It wasn't until about a week later that she learned why.

**  
         It was a little early for her to be leaving for work but she wanted to help stock the shelves. Evening had come but it wasn't to dark yet. Her guard was down when she walked through the streets, and had she not been thinking of the night ahead, and of Tommy, she probably would have heard the men. But she did not, and that quick moment of day dreaming was all it took.  
        Rough, large hands pulled her into the shadows of an ally. Sour breath was in her face so quickly, she gagged and pushed away, angry and confused.  
       "He's not here now is he darkie!" The deep voice and thick accent were not familiar but so much like every man in this town that he could be anyone.   
       Cecilia opened her eyes to find that he was indeed a stranger, yet vaguely familiar. He was dirty and large, and not alone. His simple looking friend was grinning over her assailants shoulder.  
        "Who?" She asked, still confused, "Who’s not here now?”  
        "You're little protector. And you're not going to tell him are you? Because if you do, we'll gut you, and your old preacher uncle. And that cousin of yours will hang."  
        She recognized him then. The image of Thomas hitting him at the Garrison was clear, as was the reason for the violence in the bar. His threating words had been spoken to her before, not accompanied by violence, but as a genuine warning, and by people her own color. They would warn her to stay away from men just like the one that held her now, or she'd end up half dead in an alley and should her family try and protect her, they would end up dead. They spoke from experience, one she was faced with now. And it was terrifying, but they didn't have to know that. She couldn't let them smell the fear on her, though she'd broken out in a cold sweat. To get out of this alive she had to stay calm, think ten steps ahead and never let them know she was afraid.  
         Standing there, the mans hand closing around her throat, her back shoved against the cold brick wall, she realized that she liked having the Shelby protection, but she didn't always need it. She could protect herself.  
         "Alright, I wont say a word." She said her heart pounding in her chest.  
         The men laughed and the one who'd grabbed her shoved her higher up against the wall, his hands quickly finding his way to her breast and the other urging him to shove her skirts up over her head.  
          "Come on, 'urry before someone comes!"He said in the darkness. And Cecilia swore she heard the sound of shoes rushing over stone, though she couldn't tell if they were coming or going.  
          Her stomach lurched as the man tried to kiss her, but she was quick and turned her head, managing to slap him as she did.  
          Of course this just angered him, and he let her know it by violently ripping her dress. He grinned and slammed her head into the damp brick to quiet her.  
         The blow to her head put her in a haze, but even stunned, she could see that they were too stupid to be reasoned with. She would not be able to get through this without a fight. .  
         He set his mouth to working on the soft curve of each nearly exposed breast, and she let him for just long enough to reach down, under her skirts.  
        Her fingers, stretching until she could extend them no further, found the thing she hoped would get her out of this mess. The cool metal of her knife, sheathed against her thigh was reassuring and instantly terrifying. She was actually going to use it... but she couldn't think now, time to act.  
        Quickly Cecilia pulled it from it's place and with one fluid move, thrust it into the fleshy part of his back, somewhere near an important organ she hoped.  
        His cry was unearthly, and he fell away back arched in agony as his friend, horrified and confused tried to comfort and quiet the man.  
        Her eyes wide with shock and horror, the bloodied knife still in her hand, Ceclia started to back away from the men. Her head was spinning, she didn’t know if she should try and finish the job, but he was so big, and so was his friend. She was lucky she’d managed to do any damage at all. But then to let him live... he would come after her again and it would be so much worse than what they had planned this time.  
        Her heart felt like it would explode as she tried to figure out what to do. The uninjured man looked up and saw her still there. He shouted something to her and started to set the other man down. He was coming for her.  
       She spun around and started to run, the light of the street like the light of the sun compared to dark wet ally. The alley way that would see her dead if she didn’t get out now.  
       As she ran, she heard the sound of shoes coming towards her. In her shock and fear, she stopped ready to stab again, but instead, her cousins face found the light. It didn't even register with her that he was there to save her, her instinct to survive had taken over and she grabbed his arm pulling him out from between the buildings, the man not far from them now.  
       “Come on then!” Isaiah shouted once they stumbled into the street. He shoved her behind him, fist clenched, chest puffed, ready to bash a few skulls.  
        Feeling delirious, she didn't know if he was yelling for her to keep running or the man to come at them. Either way, it was over.  
The man could clearly see who she clung to, and he recognized him instantly as a peaky blinder.  
        He started backing slowly away. His friend had stumbled along, close enough to be helped to his feet by the uninjured man.  
        “You’re gonna pay for this!” Isaiah spat at them “Both of you, you better run now if you know what’s best for you!” He said clinging to his cousin as she started to fall.  
        The rush of adrenaline had given her the strength to stab her assailant, but just as quickly as she’d found her nerve, it was draining.  
        The men went off into the dark, one being dragged by the other, both looking back over their shoulders every few steps. The eyes of her actual attacker were wide with the sickening realization that he would soon be loosing them for what he'd done.  
         Cecilia stood on shaking legs, her nails digging into the meaty part of her palms as her fist refused to relax. She didn’t have her knife anymore, she must have dropped it and a part of her was happy that she had.  
         She watched them go and damned them before finding her footing and pushing away from Isaiah. “I’m fine," She said turning in the direction of the bar "I’ve got work to do.” Her voice shook as she tried to breath deeply.  
        “Not like that!” He said, eyes trying to look anywhere but at her exposed chest. She instinctively pulled the fabric back together, clutching at the remains of her dress.  
        She was still in shock but knew he was right. She would have to go home, and tonight she wouldn’t see the friends she’d made or work for her earnings. Tonight she wouldn’t see him, and it was him that she wanted to see most of all. It was him that could make this all better, but she wouldn’t burden anyone with it. No she would go home and sew her dress, and have a cup of tea, she thought, her trembling hand smoothing wayward strands of hair from her eyes.

**  
         “Where is she now?” Tommy asked, his boots pounding the stones as he walked along side Isaiah.  
         “At home, she says she’s fine, but I don’t think she is. How could she be. I don't know what they did before I got there, and the one she stabbed might be dead!” Her cousin said in a bit of a panic.  
         Tommy glanced over at the boy and without a word, put a reassuring hand around the back of his neck. “It’s alright. Everything will be worked out, alright?”  
         The younger man nodded, his face twisted in anger.  
        “I want you to go home and look after her, we'll send for you soon, once it's taken care of.”  
        “No! If you’re going after them, I’m going with you.” He said defiant and ready for a battle.  
        “You should go home Isaiah.” Tommy said not convincingly enough for the enraged teen.  
         “I should gut that fucker.” The boy answered between tight lips and a clenched jaw.  
         Tommy smiled and dropped his hand, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.  
        “That you should.” He said and the two of them went on in ready silence.

**  
         The knock at the door made Cecilia sit up in her chair , her sewing forgotten for a moment as her uncle went to open it. She could hear him going down the hall and his sweet sing song voice as he opened the door, but she couldn't hear who had come to visit. It wasn't unusual to have someone come to talk to him, and so she went back to her sewing.  
         She hummed an old nearly forgotten song softly as she sat rocking and working the needle and thread. But the glint of the needle reminded her of it all, when she wanted more than anything to forget the feel of the blade as it pushed past the fabric of the mans coat, and how his skin gave way under the pressure of the blades’ point. Her hand stopped moving for a moment as she remembered the scream he made. It would haunt her for far longer than it should. But he would have left her for dead in the end, and with more pain than what her knife had given him. The sort of pain that you don’t heal from for a long time. She’d seen it before and was thankful that she’d been strong enough to stop it from happening to her.  
         “Hello Cecilia.”  
          She looked up and her eyes cleared to find the face that matched the deep voice.  
         “Hello Tommy.” She said sounding like a ghost, her own voice thin and light in the room.  
She sat her dress down on the small table beside her chair and looked up at him.  
         A tiny trickle of blood just below his hairline left evidence of a fight. She knew without asking that the fight had been for her.  
         Getting up, Cecilia grabbed a handkerchief from the table and dipped in it her glass of water. She went to him and with only the faintest hint of a smile, reached up and wiped the blood from his temple. There was no cut there, no wound. And so she knew it wasn't his blood. But no it wouldn’t be his, not against men like that.  
         She reached down and took his large right hand in her own, raising it to see if his knuckles were red, and they weren't. Not much of a fight at all, she thought. Still the men had paid the price. The faint sheen of blood along the edge of his caps razor was still there. Had he left it for her to see, to know that he had taken care of it.  
         “Was the big one dead?” She asked  
         He shook his head no. “ Just wounded. “ He said, and she felt him watching her, his eyes danced over her face for a moment and her pulse quickened in response.  
         “I didn’t want to do it Tommy." She said, brushing aside the feelings bubbling at the surface. "But they gave me no choice.”  
          He nodded. “I know. And you know how it is. How things work here. You did what you had to do, just like I did. They had to be dealt with, or none of our women could walk the streets in peace.”  
          Cecilia took a step back looking up into the eyes of her boss. Her heart ached at the sight of him, but still she knew better than to hope, or even want. And at the moment she felt somewhat disappointed because of this realization.  
          “Because you don’t fuck with the peaky blinders?” She asked tossing the stained kerchief onto the table. She nodded understanding now and turned her back to him, warming her hands by the fire.  
          He’d done it to save face. To protect his name and the image they fought so hard to attain. He hadn’t done it for her at all.  
          Tommy didn’t say anything for a while, until he was there behind her, so close that she could feel his breath on her neck. Cecilia stood frozen for fear that moving would end the contact between them.  
         “That’s right. You understand your place here don't you.” He asked. The rumble of his voice so close to her ear.   
         She nodded looking into the flames. Im your goddamn serving wench and nothing more, she thought with a deep breath.  
         “You're a part of a bigger machine now Cecelia. One that can’t be broken by drunken bastards with nothing better to do than attack a woman. I have to protect what we've fought for.”  
          Her eyes closed at his words and she swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yes, of course." She said, her brows together in a frown of irritation. "Thank you Tommy, of course I didn’t want to hurt anyone or see anyone hurt, but men like that deserve it. They can't go around thinking the Shelby's are to be messed with. I know that it needed to be done, and I’m glad that you took the time to see to it yourself.” She said, her tone cool and emotionless. Really she wanted nothing more than to tell him the truth. That she was angry that working for him put her in this position, but working for him had saved her and her cousin, only making it worse. She wanted to confess that she would have killed those men, but was happy he'd taken care of it, so long as it was for her, and not the stupid family name.  
         The fire crackled, the shadows of the room flickered and jumped around them. He stood for a just a second more before turning and walking out of the room.  
         She listened to him go down the hall and waited for the sound of the door to shut before spinning around.  
         “Tommy!” She called, knowing it was to late. He’d gone on to see to the rest of his business. Just like he’d seen to it tonight. Always the business man.  
          And she felt shame for the tears that welled in her eyes, because they were for him, and he was not deserving.

**  
          Tommy walked out of the house, the warmth leaving him as he shut the door.  
          The night air stirred around him and stole the smell of her from his coat and he cursed it under his breath.  
          Walking with his head down, eyes peering out from under his cap, he lit a cigarette and took a deep long pull.  
          It had been his choice to avenge her. He could have let her cousin do it alone, he could have stayed sitting comfortably waiting for an update from Isaiah or John, but something had compelled him to do it himself.  
          The first time they’d insulted her in the Garrison was enough to make him toss them from the bar with a couple of knocks to the nose for good measure. But this was to much. And while he had been truthful about needing to make sure people knew what happened when they stepped to his family and those in their employ, he had not been truthful with himself when he’d sliced the razor across the mans eyes.  
           He did it not for the family name, but because he felt insulted, personally attacked by a stinking drunk who dared to touch her. Her, that he didn't dare touch. Though no one could stop him. He was fairly certain she wouldn’t. So what was holding him back,other than the obvious taboo. And that didn’t matter to him, not really.  
          Tommy did what he wanted because he’d worked hard, paid his dues and had the brain and the balls to make things happen the way he wanted. He was Thomas Fucking Shelby... so why the hell was he so angry even after taking care of the two men. Why was she suddenly so important to him?  
            But even as he thought it, he knew he was lying to himself. Her importance to him wasn't so very sudden at all.  
           The sight of Cecilia standing near the fire came to him, her head down, long neck curving and the fine hairs down the nape aglow in the light. He saw her again, big black eyes looking up into his own as she wiped another mans blood from his brow. He saw her smiling and laughing with him, sitting at the Garrison after everyone else had gone home. The way she took sips of whiskey, the time he’d shared a cigarette with her. The way she looked at him when he told stories of the horses and his brothers. But he rarely spoke about business with her, it was like the two worlds didn’t collide and didn’t need to.   She had become an escape from it all when he needed it most. And then he stopped in his tracks, the dim light of a streetlamp illuminating him as he realized he hadn’t taken the pipe since he’d begun talking to her at night. He’d considered it a few times, but found sleep came easy these days  
           He thought back to the night when she got him to talk about the war. He didn’t say much, not really, but what he did tell her, she listened to. She didn’t say she was sorry or say she knew how he felt. She didn’t say anything at all, she just sat and listened, and when he was done, she poured him a little more whiskey and gave his hand a small squeeze with her own. And there was something in the way she’d handled herself tonight, and in the way she accepted his reaction to her assault that made him smile. Tough was an understatement. She had the sort of disposition that made people respect her, while wanting to know her better. She was quiet enough, but he’d seen her put a few drunks in their place late nights at the bar.  
        Standing at no more than five foot two in a crowd of white men, drunk and rowdy with want for a woman and drink, she held her own easily. And they loved her for it.  
         He loved her for it.  
         Shaken by the notion of love, actual love, Tommy quickly pushed the thought from his head, took another pull of his smoke then flicked the cigarette away and with it the notion of love for Cecilia, the bloody bar maid.

**  
       Cecilia hated the way it was between them now. He didn’t look at her anymore. Only a quick glance and a thank you when she brought in beer and whiskey. Arthur paid her more mind than Tommy did and that was enough to drive her mad.  
       She was wiping down the tables when the doors to their room opened and the brothers walked out, John and Arthur almost falling over themselves drunk, Tommy laughing at them as he followed and shut the doors. She watched them go, feeling a slight sting in her heart when he didnt even bother with a goodbye. But in a way she was thankful. Maybe it would be better if they just cut ties completely. Everything else in her life made sense right now, he was the only thing brining her down. The doors shut behind them and she turned her back, ready to finish for the night.  
      “Just those last two" The bartender said pointing to two tables "And then you can go” He gave her a kind smile and a wink.  
       By the time she was done the bar was spotless, and that was no small feat. She’d made some tips and would be paid tomorrow morning. Not a bad weeks work at all.  
       In fact as she put on her coat and called out her goodnight to the bartender, she felt good for the first time since the attack.  
       Which was why it was all the more painful for her to find that Tommy was outside, leaning up against the wall of the Garrison, presumably waiting for her.  
       "You nearly scared me to death!” She said, hand to her heart.  
       “Oh I doubt that.” He answered pushing off the wall of the bar, genuinely smiling down at her. She gave him a quick, wavering sort of smile, and began to walk. He fell into slow sure steps beside her.  “What, are you doing Mr. Shelby?” She asked half way down the street.  
       “I’m walking you home” He answered, eyes on the road. She could only describe the look in them as mischievous.  
       "Thanks, but I think i'll be alright?” She answered unsure of why he suddenly decided to take an interest in her again. And just as she was thinking life without him was for the better, isn't that just like a man. She thought rolling her eyes and walking a little faster.  
      "Are you sure?" He asked, the arrogance in his voice making the hairs on her arm rise in protest.  
      "I am. Actually. Yes," She said stopping and turning to face him. He took a few long strides past her before stopping, his head dropping back , eyes up at the sky. He sighed loudly then turned to look at her. "It would make me happy to walk you home tonight Cecilia." He said arms out in defeat.  
      She rolled her eyes again and shook her head no. " If you're really afraid some one else might try and pull another stunt like those two blind fools, you're mistaken Tommy. Everyone knows now. Don't you worry about that. Everyone knows who I work for and who looks out for me. The goddamn Shelby's and the fucking Peaky Blinders." She said, her words trailing off as emotion got the better of her.  
       Her eyes burned into his as she went past, she would have smacked him right across his wide, freckled face if she'd been so bold, but alas she held tight to the sleeves of her coat and kept walking not caring to speak to him again.  
Her heart was pounding as she rounded the corner. She wanted to turn to see if he was still there but knew he was without looking.  
       Up ahead, standing and talking, she spotted silhouettes in the mist. Two men turned to see who was coming, and she stopped in her tracks. Flashes of that night came back to her and for a moment she wanted to run back towards the safety of The Garrison. But she found her courage and regained her composure and continued in a perfect line, straight towards them. The way she was feeling right now, she practically dared them to try.  
      "Good evening gentlemen." She said in a strong, clear voice.  
      "Good e'n" They both replied, tipping their caps and looking very confused at her and the well known man who followed.                                    
      Cecilia turned down the top of her long street and listened for him but heard nothing. She could sense him though , very close. She really couldn't believe he was following her. The great and indestructible, feared and loved, hated and lauded Thomas Shelby, was lurking in the shadows like a school boy, following her home. And the innocence of it made her laugh.  
       Cecilia's laugh faded to a smile and she ran a hand over her sleepy eyes. "Tommy, I'm almost home, its alright if you go now." She said, eyes up at the grey clouds and white moon.  
        When he didn't respond, she almost turned to see if he'd actually gone, but then she felt him there behind her. He was close enough that she could hear his breathing and feel the warmth of his body. His hand was hesitant, but strong as it slid up her arm, fingers closing around her bicep. Her turned her around to face him, and in the dark, she could see the look she'd been waiting for in those cold blue eyes. Hiding behind heavy lids and long black lashes she saw what she'd only dared to imagine once before.  
       Slowly, and very deliberately, he let go of her arm to push aside the heavy wool of her open coat with his fingers. He tilted his his head to see the curve of her, his eyes going soft at the sight.  
       Sliding his hand over her stomach to the smallest part of her waist he found his way to the small of her back and with one show of strength, pulled her in and up to him, pressing their bodies comfortably together.  
        Her breath caught in her throat and her gaze floated from his beautiful eyes, to his full lips, parted, and slowly coming down to meet hers.  
        The heat from his mouth was enough to make her forget all anger. She had been wrong, he did want her. And the glorious realization of it was enough to break her heart in the worst way. Cecilia smiled against his lips, her eyes shut tight, her emotions threatening to choke her.  
        Her steady hand went up to touch his face still smooth from this mornings shave. She followed the strong line of his jaw up to his ear that was cold in the night air, finally sliding across the soft velvet of his infamously shaved head, before settling into his mess of dark brown locks.  
         Tommy held her close to him with his other arm, locking them so tightly together that she felt the need for air rising as quickly as her need to kiss him. But she wouldn't stop, afraid that when she did, the moment would be gone forever. She could cry for fear that this would never happen again.  
        And then, the sound of nails clicking against stone came rushing past them and broke them apart. An old stray dog went past, running from what, who knew, but the kiss had ended and Cecilia watched the dog go wondering if the entire moment was just a dream.  
       But when she turned to face Tommy again, he was still there, looking down at her like a man drunk with love instead of whiskey for once.  
         "You didn't have to walk me home." She said, her hand resting on the fine fabric of this coat.  
        "I know that, and I know that you're brave, sometimes to brave. And I know you can take care of yourself. But I want you to know that what I did to those men, I did because I had to, and because I wanted to. It has everything to do with business, that can't be helped."  
         She looked away, blocking out those last words, but he gave her a little shake to get her to look at him again.   
        "Listen to me," He said and her eyes lifted to see him again. "Business can't be helped, but I also did it, because for me, well. I don't take kindly to people helping themselves to things that I want, things that belong to me. I know you're a modern woman, independent and strong." He said smiling, she grinned , hiding her face in the warm folds of his coat for a moment before letting him go on. "But, when I see you, I see a woman that works for me in many ways, that I need to take care of, because she's mine. And I'll not have them think they can get away with anything when it comes to you. They all know that now. And they wont soon forget it."  
         Cecilia's heart filled with blood as it drained from all the unnecessary parts of her body. It exploded into a thousand shards hurting until she could not stand to look at him anymore. Her eyes fell to look down at his boots, and her own plain black shoes. "I am independent, and I like that you know that. But tonight ... I want to belong to you." She said, the words thick in her throat. She was still afraid of what this might mean, but it was certainly all that she'd wanted for so long now.  
        "Are you sure?" He asked searching her face for truth.  
         Biting her lip and nodding slowly, she found his eyes again and no other words needed to be spoken.  
        They went silently back through the streets to his house. Her uncle, though a dear friend of Tommy's would not treat her the same if he heard them, or woke to find Tommy Shelby frying eggs in the morning.  And so, with her hand tucked in his, he lead her to his home, and to his bed.

**  
         Feeling suddenly nervous, Cecilia stood in the middle of his room while he took of his coat and hung it up.  
         She'd never even been in his house before, and now here she was in his room, only minutes away from his bed. It seemed so much more intimate than the act of sex itself.  
         She saw little things that belonged to him, his razor and soap at the basin. Cuff links and a watch on the table. Another pair of boots sat perfectly under a long black coat that hung on the wardrobe. And it smelled like him too. Like his sweat and blood and dreams, she smiled.  
         He was in just an undershirt and trousers now, and slid his boots beside the others. So deliberate and precise. It was just as she'd imagined him to be.  
         And when he turned to her again , she traced the vein in his hand that ran up the lean smooth muscle of his forearm to the solid curve of his bicep. His broad shoulders straightened and she followed the slope of his collar bone until it disappeared into his neck where his quickened pulse gave him away. He was as excited and maybe as nervous as she was.  
         It made her relax a little to see him as human, and not just an imagined idea of what he might be like were this to ever happen  
         "Take your coat and shoes off." He said kindly, though to someone that didn't know him, it might have come across as more of an order.  
         Cecilia didn't care, she did as he said, laying her coat over his on the back of the chair. She placed her shoes beside the two pairs of boots and turned back to face him.  
         "Come here." He said, and her heart gave a few quick beats at the definite command.  
         His wide palms and strong fingers ran along her body stopping to enjoy her hips, his own swaying to answer the call of hers. He gripped her thighs, the fabric of her dress spilling through his fingers." Turn around." He said, his voice husky and wanting.  
         His breath fell on her neck and shoulder in long slow waves as he unbuttoned her dress, and then she turned so that he could take it off the rest of the way, letting it fall to the floor.  
         He reached down gathering her slip in his hands lifting it up over her head, her arms falling free from the straps. The room while pleasant, was cold enough to make the fine hairs on her body rise as the nipples of her full round breast did against the draft.  
         She smiled watching him, watch her. He took in the sight of her half naked body like a boy. And she wondered how long it had been since he'd been with a woman, one that he actually cared for.  
         Reaching back over his own shoulder, he gripped his shirt and easily pulled it off over his head tossing it aside, like a snake shedding its old, pale scales to reveal the new glowing skin beneath. And then it was her turn to stare.  
         Scars tell many stories, and he had a novel. She didn't dare ask him to tell her about them now, but she knew eventually he would find the time, maybe in the light of the rising sun, many mornings from now, for she planned on seeing him like this again and again and again.  
          Her small hands slid up the surprisingly soft skin of his shoulders until she could pull him closer, her lips brushing against his chest, the hair that covered it tickling her cheek.  
          She could hear his heart beating heavy and loud and it made her smile. He bent down to kiss her head, her cheek, and then her neck, his lips soft and gentle made her breath come out in tiny gasps.  
          He kissed the small hollow of her throat, and down the valley of her breast teasing each one in turn. Sucking and kissing making her knees give way, only his arms and the grip she had on them kept her up. And she could feel him, so hard against her when he stood, even through the fabric of his pants. Her own wetness a welcome response.  
          "Tommy?" She whispered.  
           He grunted in response. His mouth to busy finding new places to kiss. "I believe everything you said tonight, but I must know, if we do this, will you regret it in the morning? Will you think of me as nothing more than a whore who works for you, that you can take when you want and leave when it pleases you?"  
          He stopped and looked up at her from his place at her stomach. Standing slowly again, he held her away from him by her shoulders. That distant, calculating look was back and she held her breath waiting for him to say the worst.But it was then that he truly surprised her.  
          Reaching up, he rested a very warm palm on her cheek, his thumb gently stroking the soft curve of it. "You're not a whore. You're a woman. And a woman that means more to me than I think i'll say at the moment. And in the morning, if you wake and find me gone, don't worry. I wont be far and I will be back. I'll always be back. When you'll have me."

**  
           They collapsed on the bed, her head bouncing against the pillow. Their mouths met with bruising force, her hands clinging to his wide muscular back as he shoved her legs apart with a knee.  
          She looked down between them to find him ready and not the least bit lacking. "Look at me" He said gently.  
          She hesitated, feeling shy.  
          "Look at me Cecilia." He said, his deep voice vibrating in her chest.  
          She looked up, her fingers locked behind his neck brushing against that fine velvet hair. He looked into her eyes and lowered his hips to hers, reaching down to guide the way, quickly finding the wet warm welcome of her.  
          Cecilia gasped as he pushed until she felt him spread her wide. An involuntary moan escaped from her lips as she felt him slide deeper inside, to the deepest parts of her that made a tingling heat spread from her belly to the tips of her fingers.  
         "I won't leave you." He whispered gently working his way in and then out, very slowly to get the feel of her until he slid deep inside again, their bodies flat against each other.  
         "I know Tommy." She answered. "Don't stop. And don't leave. I love you to much, it'll be the death of me."  
          He closed his eyes, overcome with the feeling of her, so wet and so tight, his face suddenly sad with the profession of her love for the likes of him.  
          He pulled out a little, brushing the head of his cock against her wet lips, before thrusting back inside, deep and hard making her cry out, his hand brushing across her lips in a vain attempt to quiet her, but he didn't really care, not now. Again he pulled out letting her relax before pushing his way back in until hip bone met hip bone, his hands closing around her face.  
          He cursed her and kissed her lips "Let me fuck you." He said brushing the hair from her eyes. And she nodded knowing what was to come next.  
          Tommy sat up on his knees with her still open beneath him. He reached down and grabbed her by the hips pulling until he disappeared inside of her again, grinding deeply and slowly so as to leave the feeling of him inside her. Like an imprint of the man that she belonged to.   
         Cecilia let out a groan, but she held onto him in spite of the pain. He'd found that perfect place of overwhelming awful ecstasy and she wanted him even more because of it.  
         He leaned over her, sliding his solid arms under her back, one of them reaching up, pressing along the length of her spine until his hand slid up her neck and he wrapped his fingers around it, gracefully raising her small body up to sit on him.  
          His muscled thighs supported her, and he opened them to spread her legs apart once more.  
        Guiding her with strong hands, Tommy lowered Cecilia down onto his long thick shaft, her shaking moans and gasps making him harden with each inch until she sat, with him completely surrounded by her stretched walls.  
          They started slowly, until she could take his thrust with pleasure. Her fingers dug into the solid flesh of his neck and shoulders, their lips brushing, tongues darting and ramblings of yes and no and stop, and don't stop, a breathy blur.  
            She rode him hard and long, finally crashing into him as much as he pushed into her, until they found their rhythm of rise and fall, in and out, a swelling up and down.  
           Her back arched away from him as her hips bucked like a pulse against his. His mouth covering her breast in turn.  
           "Don't stop!" She ordered , and it was all he needed to hear. He grabbed her hips and ass, his eyes shut, frowning with pleasure and concentration as he fucked her, matching the racing beat of his own heart until her nails drew blood in half moons across his back. Her thighs shook as she came, her breast bouncing, the gleam of sweat shining on on them in dusty beams of moonlight that came through the window  
            Still gasping for air and shaking, she smiled and nodded her approval for him to finish. And she took his last few pounding thrust with her head down on his shoulder, her arms wrapped tight around him until he made the sound of a man released and satisfied just as she felt an explosion of warmth, deep in her belly.  
           They stayed that way for a while, breath slowing until the room was silent. Cecilia sat up and looked down at him from her perch on his lap. She searched his face for any sign of immediate regret. But he just smoothed her hair away from her face and met her gaze before kissing her gently "Are you alright?" He asked knowing he'd been hard on her.  
          Cecilia nodded and smiled, kissing his brow. She pushed up on his shoulders raising her body until she felt him slide out of her now sore vagina. She sat back against the wall and took a long deep breath letting it out with a huff. "I am Tommy. Are you?"  
          "Im not the one who just got properly rodgered now am i?"  
           “Well, I don't know about that?" She said giving his ribs a little kick with her foot. Grinning, he caught her foot mid air and kissed her calve. "I'm fine. Better than." He reassured her and he let her leg fall to the bed, as he came crashing down beside her.  
           "Lets sleep?" She asked sliding down to rest with him. It was a miracle they were both  still awake after a long night at the bar and now all of this...With a sigh he nodded, eyes already closing. She watched him fade quickly away before letting the happy fog of sleep take her under as well.

**  
            The room was quiet except for the ticking of his watch on the bedside table that she hadn't noticed until now.  
            Something had drawn her from her dreams, and as she felt Tommy stir behind her, she knew what it had been.  
            He was kneading the soft curve of her ass, letting himself rub against the sway in the small of her back. He was completely hard and ready again.  
            She wanted to push him away and drift back into sleep, the idea of being fucked like that again make her cringe. She was happy but so tired. He clearly had other plans  
            Tommy flattened his hand grabbing her hip and slid her even closer across the bed. He reached down to grab his stiff cock and found her in the dark.  
            An involuntary cry escaped her as he pushed past her swollen lips to find that she was tighter than before.  
            "Tommy!" She cried breathlessly.  
             He groaned, enveloping her in his arms as he started to pull out and push in quickly building momentum.He ignored her protest that soon gave way to heavy breathing and her own soft moans of pleasure.  
She reached back, her fingers digging into the solid stone muscle of ass and thigh, her other hand tight around his thick forearm.  
             "I have to. I need you again." He said fucking her hard all the while knowing that she was spent.  
The side of her face bobbed against the pillow, her eyes shut tight as he swelled inside her. Cecilia couldn't tell if she was breathing or holding her breath because each thrust made her head spin. He felt so good and incredibly hard. He fit her like a mold.  
              Soon she was past the pain of it, completely lost in the pleasure of being taken unexpectedly in the middle of the night. Or was it morning, she had no idea and It didn't matter. She called his name again as he quickened, the sound of skin smacking against skin loud in the quiet room.  
              He buried his face in the sweet smell of her hair and let out a deep long groan as he came hard, throbbing and then pulsing inside her until he finished, filling her to the brim, both of them wet and hot now.  
              Panting, she lay for a while staring into the dark until her heart began to slow. She started to turn to kiss him, but he held her tight where she was.  
             Instead of pulling out, he pushed in deeper and kept her wrapped in his arms.  
            "I mean to keep you here, just like this." He said, his lips brushing the tip of her ear. "So that in the morning, when you wake, and when you leave, you'll have the feel of me between your legs until you come to me again,"  
             She shut her eyes, letting his words sink in, settling deep in her bones. Her arms closed over his so that their bodies were completely connected. As close as two people could be.  
             "I love you Tommy Shelby." She said quickly into the cool air of the night. She'd said it to much already, but she didn't care.  
              Since she was a girl, Cecilia had always gone with her gut. She knew to trust her instincts and they told her that right now, with him still hard inside of her, that she loved this man. He was a risk, and loving him meant her life could be in danger because of the things he does, and the lifestyle he and his brothers fearlessly lead. But it wasn't enough to make her question her feelings for him. That was done and decided. She loved him, and there was nothing more that could be done about it.  
            The ticking of the clock was the only proof of time passing, for nothing in the room changed save for the relaxing of her body in his arms. And a very long time later, when her breathing had become no more than a quiet, soft rush of air across his arm, Tommy closed his eyes and said the words that felt right to him.  
            "I love you too Cecilia." His voice so quiet it was lost in the space between them before it could be heard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> well, a lot happens, as you would expect in the crazy world of the peaky blinders. And still a lot more to come... let me know what you think! And thanks in advance.

        Something had changed, in the two weeks that past after their first night together.  
        Cecilia noticed a shift in the way people regarded her. Where everyone had once been friendly and accommodating, now, while still friendly, they had become fearful and from that fear sprang a constant need to see her treated like one of the Shelbys  
      She seemed to always have first pick of the freshest produce at the market and was given extra cuts at the butcher.  
       People would quietly insist that she move ahead to the front of the line, be it the post office or the movie house. She was ushered past the unknowns and the ordinaries because she was a part of the machine now, in with the bloody royal family.  
         She found it all a little odd. Having another woman avert her eyes as Cecilia passed her in the street made her feel removed and distant, but vaguely powerful. Though she never forgot where that power came from. Without Tommy, none of this would be happening.  
         She was in fact quite surprised by it all. She and Tommy weren't exactly walking down the street hand in hand. But people, while never clever enough for her in general, had been falling in and out of love for centuries. And you don't need to be a genius to figure it out. All it took was a few of the old gossips to see him walk her home from her errands or perhaps someone spotted her coming from his house in the early morning hours. It had become alarmingly clear to her that they had caught on to the changed relationship between Thomas Shelby and Cecilia Clark. And because of it, she was being lumped in with the rest of them.  
       While she sincerely loved him and cared for his family, to be looked at like a gangster when she'd never done anything more than win a few fights back home was starting to wear her down.  
       Cecilia couldn't help but to wonder what other sort of attention she might attract with this new status. Being with a man like him had placed a target on her head, she'd known it would from the beginning but she kept on loving him all the same.  
        But it was when she noticed a couple of well dressed men watching her walk to the bar a few times, with it glaringly clear they were of some rival family or gang, that she began to fear for her safety,with any illusions of protection beginning to fade.  
        As she left the post office on a crisp morning, the sort with the promise of spring in the air but the chilling wind still blowing, numbing nose and fingers, she decided to have a little talk with the man who made it all happen.  
        **

        It was a short walk to the Shelby homestead and she made it quickly, determined and annoyed that she hadn't found Tommy in his usual places.  
        “Hi Polly.” She said inside the busy walls of the Shelby home.  
         The house was alive and buzzing with the energy of the now legal bookmaking. Men were placing bets, discussing the horses and the jockeys, smoking and drinking in spite of the early hour.  
        The matriarch of the family looked up from her ledgers and gave Cecilia one of those tight lipped all knowing smiles. Her big brown eyes looked black in the dim light and deep as pools, full of knowledge and the ability to always be one step ahead.  
        It made Cecilia question everything she said before saying it, but she knew better than to let that stop her. Polly never suffered fools, and Cecilia would give her no reason to think her a foolish girl with an infatuation.  
        In fact over the course of time, she and Pol had come to a silent understanding. Cecilia stayed in her place and Polly tolerated her with a sort of cold love that she surprisingly didn't mind. The woman respected her, having learned of her hardships in America, and her loyal nature from Tommy, and from having her work for the family for almost a year now with no reason to think of her as a problem or liability.  
        “Hello Cecilia” she said and nodded towards the tea sitting across from them on a smaller table.  
        “Oh no thanks. I can’t stay.”   
        “Then what can i do for you, care to place a bet?’ She asked in her own snarky fashion, Cecila’s eyes met the brown glow of Polly’s and the two women stared at one another for a moment, each knowing the other must be dealt with for the mutual love of one man.  
        “No. Thank you, I was just wondering if you know where Tommy is?”  
        “Dont you?”   
         Cecilia sighed and shook her head. “No, he’s not in his office or at the bar.”   
         Polly nodded writing something down before closing the book “He’ll be with the new horse then. I wouldn't bother him now if I were you.”  
          Cecilia smiled and shrugged “I don't seem to be bothering him so far, thanks Pol” She said and the tension eased as the older women felt her match met.   
         Cecilia snaked her way through the crowd, said a genuine hello to John and his wife, who was heavily pregnant, before making her way back outside. She started for the stables determined not to let Polly Shelby shake her.

**   
        “What do you mean?” Tommy asked, his hand gliding along the smooth back side of the large white horse.   
        “Just what I said. They fear me now, or should i say, they fear you. And i feel like I’m being watched, maybe I’m wrong, but I’ve noticed things” She answered peaking under the long legs of the beast to watch his own moving slowly. “It’s just, well I don’t know that I like it.” She said.    
        “Well, what would you like me to do about it?’ He asked coming around to her.   
        “I don't know that i want you to do anything about it.” She said arms crossed.  
         Cecilia looked up at the horse and smiled. It was a beautiful thing but she was a little afraid of its power. How familiar that was. “I just wonder if you might know why.”  
         “Well, have you been telling anyone about us? Your friend Lottie at the shop maybe?” He said glancing back at her.  
         “Tommy.” She said, her voice stern and annoyed.  
         He laughed a little and shrugged “Cecilia, theres nothing to be done. People will talk and in a town like this, it’s not very surprising. As for being watched, I’ll look into it. But If the problem is that you're embarrassed or ashamed well...  
         “Oh just stop. You know damn well that isn't true.”  
         “Are you sure.” He asked suddenly turning to look down at her.  
          She went stiff and her arms dropped at her sides. “Of course I’m sure, please don't say things like that.” She answered feeling a little attacked.  
          He nodded and went back examining and calming the horse whispering things she didn't understand, a bit of gypsy maybe? Surely his mother had taught him something before she died.  
          “It’s just strange for me thats all.” She said following him around the horse's head again.  
          “Well, unless you intend to break this off, or leave for America, i suggest you get used to it. There are enough women that would enjoy the advantage of my name. You have the benefit without the legality. ”  
           Her eyes grew large, and she felt the heat of anger rise in her ears. She could picture them all too. Each one of the girls that looked at him with their dreamy eyes full of ignorant desire. To them he was rich and powerful, a man who could give them the sun with a single smile before taking it away with his cold glare. They didn’t know, didn’t understand what it was actually like to love and be loved by a Shelby. The constant worry of danger, and the little lfear in the back of her mind that he might just loose interest one day, that she would become a stone around his neck weighing him down.  
           She knew his type. And ambitious men are equal parts alluring and awful things to love, especially ones with a temper and a taste for blood.  
          Without a word she spun and headed for the door of the small stable wondering why she’d come in the first place.  
           But he was there in an instant grabbing her arm. “Don’t walk away.” He ordered.    
          “Let go of me.” She shot back, yanking her arm away from his grip, her feet moving quickly to take her away from him. But he reached out grabbing her again, this time by the flap of her coat. He pulled her close and wrapped both arms around her waist. “No.” He said  Cecilia rolled her eyes and sighed.  
          “Why not, you obviously know enough women that want to be in my shoes, go and grab on one of them!” She snapped as she tried her best to push his muscled arms away. But she couldn't get them to move an inch.                    Instead he laughed as his body seemed to envelope hers.  
          “I’m sorry.” He whispered in her ear before kissing it. He held her, his warm cheek pressed against hers. He held her until she stopped fighting, half submitting, to irritated to fight a loosing battle. He kissed her neck softly at first, and then sank his teeth in to leave marks.  
         She tried to muffle her cry that melted into a moan of approval but it was to late and he had certainly heard, and that was all he needed.  
        “Not here.” She said, feeling him rise against her. She rested her head against his chest and looked around at the small open stable. It was far from private and the other men while not exactly in sight, couldn't be far.  
       “No, not here.” He said agreeing as he let her go. Looking around like a man on a mission, he took her hand and led her deeper in, past the horse , to the tied hay, stacked like a pyramid in the back of the barn.  
        “Oh not in the straw like a couple of animals” She said with a smile. Her anger having dissolved and faded, it made way for the heat of excitement instead.    
        “To late for protest sweet Cecilia.” He said, his face set in its most determined stare. He opened her coat and cupped her breast, thumbs grazing the area he guessed to be her nipples. He’d guessed right and her eyes closed in response.  “ What about your other women?’She asked finally looking up at him with hooded lids while he continued to squeeze and lift her breast, feeling the weight of them.   
        “Hush.” He said and kissed her. His kiss was the sort to linger on her lips long after he’d gone. Such soft lips, with a firm touch, his tongue warm and wet as it rolled along her own.  
        She wrapped her arms around his neck, as he reached down and slid his hands behind her thighs to her knees. With the ease of lifting a child, he picked her up, holding her as he walked to the stacks of hay.  
         Tommy sat Cecilia down, both of them still kissing the other as he fumbled with the belt and buttons of his pants.  
        She pulled away from his lips and looked down , her heart racing with the horribly exciting fear of being caught. She watched him slide his pants down freeing his thick hard cock . Smiling she reached up and gripped it tight.  
        Tommy groaned and sucked in air, hard between his teeth. She started to work him with her hand before bending her head, letting it touch her lips.  
        Her tongue darted out to taste him, and now it was his turn to gasp as she swirled her small pink tongue around the head and down the shaft.  
        Slowly, she opened her mouth, sliding it past her lips and teeth to settle in the wet warmth of her mouth, taking it in as far as she could without coughing in rejection.  
       His hands were to heavy on her shoulders, and she was sure he would leave bruises where his fingers dug into her flesh.  
       She held onto him at the base, sliding her mouth slowly up and down leaving a sheen of saliva as she went making him stiffen even more.  
       “Fucking bloody hell woman.” He groaned, head back, eyes closed.  
         She smiled around him and went back to work until the familiar trembling in the solid muscle of his thighs and stiffness of his cock started, and she was certain he would finish soon. But instead he pulled away from her mouth and pushed her back against the wall of hay. He looked down on her, his face set in concentration as he tried to decide what he wanted to do, and how he wanted to take her.  
       She smiled up at him, her beautiful black eyes burrowing into his own. Every muscle in his body grew tense as he felt the grip of love and want tighten to become intertwined. They were the same for him in moments like this. The loving and the fucking. And god be damned he loved her so much.  
       Tommy reached down pulling her up by the shoulders. He spun her around, and grabbed her long skirt bunching it in a mess around her waist. He damned her stockings for being a barrier between them before yanking them down her legs, her silky underwear bunched along with them, leaving her perfectly round ass out and exposed for him to see and admire.  
       Her hands pressed into the straw as the air touched her warm skin and she bit her lip looking back over her shoulder in anticipation and a little fear.  
       He was mad with needing her and she knew he would not be gentle.  
       He grabbed the soft brown skin of her behind, kneading and spreading before pulling her back towards him until she was almost standing.  
       Wet enough without help, she smiled as he ran two fingers down her soft divide pushing through to find her tight but ready. He groaned his approval, "So wet for me always,” He mumbled absently before widening his stance. She shut her eyes and Tommy sighed as he pushed into her.  
          Cecilia shrieked only to have his hand clamp down over her mouth as he started to fuck her.  
       With a hurried ferocity, he smacked his hips against her ass, her eyes shut tight, little yelps and screams of pleasure stifled by his large hand.  
          She could feel him so deep, her belly ached. Her hand pressed just under her navel to feel him pushing over and over again until her eyes rolled back and she dug her hands into the straw.  
          Tommy's sounds made her tighten around him in response, his other hand free of her mouth lay flat on her back pushing her down until they both felt him touch the place that made her moan and her skin ignite.  
          All he wanted, all he had ever wanted was there below him, open and accepting him in spite of who he was and all the things he’d done.  
          He wanted to make it last for hours, the feeling was to good to loose so quickly, but he couldn't. And with the men only just outside... he cursed her under his breath for possessing such a miracle between her legs and came hard then, his entire body jerking with the easy release.  
          She held in her own cry and felt the walls of her vagina tighten in exquisite contractions until he pulled out of her and she fell to her knees panting like one of his prized horses.  
         The world was no more than a buzzing in her ears and the steady thump of her heart. She felt him sit beside her but she couldn't raise her head to look. It was to heavy with the lack of air.  
        But the sound of his belt made her open her eyes. Her head resting on her arm rolled to the side to see him doing up his pants. With a lazy hand, she reached over and touched his arm.  
       ”I love being with you Thomas, but that doesn't mean i have to like it. The way my loving you changes who i am to other people."  
         He glanced over at her, his face stone. But then as he finished buttoning and buckling he smiled "Alright, fair enough." He said and stood.  
        He reached down and helped her up, her legs still shaking. "Well what does that mean?" She asked smoothing her clothes and picking straw from her hair and shirt.  
         "Exactly what I said. Its fair for you to feel that way. Its just not going to change anything.'" He said sliding his arms around her shoulders and pulling her in to him.  
         Cecilia sighed and rolled her eyes but smiled knowing he was right.

**  
          They walked side by side, his hair a little mussed, her dress wrinkled, both smiling in their own way.  
          She glanced up at him and wondered how long she could keep him. How long they could make this last. The sort of happiness that comes with love didn't seem to be a permanent thing in this place. And she wasn't ashamed to admit she expected it to be taken from them soon. It scared her to feel so good in a world full of danger and secrets. She still didn't know everything about him and his business other than the fact that it had made him a very wealthy, and very feared man. But then, wasn't that all she needed to know about that side of him. Because she knew the real Thomas. The one that sat in his chair early in the morning, bathed in sunlight, smoke from his cigarette curling around him, his pensive face set like stone with his eyes looking far and away into a future only he knew.  
          They rounded the corner, Cecilia still gazing at him as she wondered about what promise their future held, when she noticed the same two men that had caught her attention a few nights before standing across the street.  
          "Tommy, that's them." She said softly careful not look.  
          "Thats who love, what are you talking about?" He asked flicking a cigarette into the dirt.  
          She glanced up at him, surprised that he hadn't picked up on the men. That was very unlike him.  
          "Those two there, smoking in the doorway of the factory," She said her voice on edge.  
          They walked past them then, neither looking, neither showing any sign of acknowledgment. But both could feel the eyes of the men on them as they went along on the other side of the road.  
          Tommy's face changed, but he said nothing until they turned another corner.   
          Suddenly he grabbed her elbow and pulled her quickly past the other row houses to her own front door.  
          "What is it?" She asked feeling anxious. "Whats wrong, maybe i can help!" She turned to him and searched his face for answers.  
          His eyes darted across the street before looking down on her. He tried smile, to reassure her that everything was alright, but the gesture was sad and only made her feel a rush of worry.   
          Taking his his face in her hands she tried to get him to focus on her but he couldn't.  
          "Tommy? Tommy?" She pulled at his coat, but he paid her no mind.   
           And then suddenly, without a word he reached over, grabbed the doorknob and swung the front door open and threw her in the house shutting it before she could protest.  
          "Lock the door Cecilia," He called through the barrier. " And don't come out until I tell you to. You dont come out until you hear my voice. Understand. My voice only."  
          Her hand pressed to the door, face flat against the cool wood she nodded "Yes Tommy, I understand." She called back, her heart pounding, eyes fluttering around the room. She had to help him if she could, but how could she when he told her nothing. So many secrets between them would tear them apart. And he would never tell so long as he thought he was protecting her.  
         And then she could hear him speaking, he said something, a name, but then his words became harder to hear as he walked away from the house. The voices of other men could be heard but their words impossible to make out.  
         Cecilia willed her heart to slow, she talked herself into a calm quiet to try and hear them.  
         The accents were hard for her to understand, but the rhythm of language was easy to follow. It started out alright, but was quickly escalating. She heard Tommy order them to go, but one laughed, another said something and called him a name she didn't know, was it Italian she wondered.  
         They were starting to antagonize him, but she knew he wouldn't fall for that, still she felt the need to do something.  
        Uncles gun! She thought and pushed away from the door running into the sitting room. She almost tripped over the ottoman as she reached for the little drawer in the side table.  
        He had a few hidden around, this was the closest. She grabbed the cold metal thing, stood straight, and took a deep breath.  
         This was the world she'd chosen when she'd chosen him, it was time to live in it.  
         Darting back down the hall she came trotting into the front room just as the door began to open.   
         Sunlight spilled in so bright she held her hand up to shield her eyes. The sun never signs in Birmingham. Today. She thought , today the damn thing comes out.  
        “Thank god it’s over” She mumbled feeling relief wash over her. But not a moment later heard his voice call to her from the street.  
         Tommy cried her name with such fear that it terrified her to the core.   
         Instinct took over, and she raised the gun with two shaking hands that steadied as the man came into view.  
          He was large, a giant silhouette against the light, and he hadn't seen her right away, but she saw him. And she saw the gun he held.  
         Cecilia watched him turn and find her. He instantly raised the gun, and though every muscle in her body ached to run, the only one that worked was in her finger, and she felt the resistance of the trigger and she squeezed.  
         But the sound came to fast, she hadn't shot when the awful deafening sound of bullets flying free from the barrel burst through the air.  
         Her eyes shut as she waited for the pain, but none came.  
         "Two shots. Two not one." She whispered.  
          She opened her eyes and looked to find the man holding his hand by his heart as blood rushed into his palm like water from a fountain.  
         He fell back against the door frame and out into the blinding light of the sun.  
          Paralyzed by fear, she could see nothing but the twitching of the mans leg as he lay dying. She hadn't even noticed Tommy come running in.   
         "Put the gun down Cecilia, its me." Tommy said, both hands up. He held his own weapon in his hand but released the gun and let it hang from his finger, swinging as he walked.  
          He'd done it she realized. He shot them both to protect her.  
          Her shaking arms lowered slowly, tears that she hadn't realized were there began to fall over her cheeks though she felt nothing, no emotion. Just shock.  
          He was there lowering her arms the rest of the way, and he gently slipped the gun from her hands sitting it down before tucking his own away in the waist of his pants.  
        "Look at me," He said taking her by the shoulders, knees bent to be able to look her in the eyes. "Are you alright?' He asked. But she couldn't stop looking at the man as the last of his hearts blood flowered around his lifeless body.  
         Slowly, she nodded, her own body limp as he looked her over.  
         "I-I thought he shot me," She whispered and Tommy shook his head  
         "No, you're alright. You'll be fine, just a shock." He said, but something in his voice made her look away from the gore in the doorway .  
          Tommy's face was full of emotion, and a look she recognized as fear but had never seen on him before.  
          He was trying to keep calm but it was killing him. His eyes were glassed over, his frown melted away to a face of sadness before tightening up again refusing to give in.  
         "I am, I'm alright.She said, her voice distant, but wanting to assure him.  
         He nodded and took her in his arms, his heart pounding beneath her ear.  
          And then he leaned back to see her again. Tommy's large hands, callused and strong lay on either side of her face. He was so close to her she could feel his breath along her lips before he quickly kissed them. “You’re alright.” He said as a statement, a reassurance for himself,  not a question for her.  
          “What happened? Who were they?” She asked their faces still near.  
          He shut his eyes shaking his head before looking down at her again. “Men that thought they could get to me through you.” He said eyes looking up to the ceiling, to ashamed to look at her.  
          “I knew they were watching me,” She said softly as he pulled away and started to pace.  
          Cecilia knew that walk, that anxious thought filled gait that would explode into a rage very soon. “Tommy, wait, its done, you don’t need to do anything else." She said now fearing for the danger his retaliation would put him in. "You stopped them. And I would have shot him if you hadn’t. Its over.” She said.  
           He stopped then and stared at her for a while before sighing. “No, it’s never over my love.” He came to her quickly and kissed her forehead. “Not until I say it is.”  
           “Dont go..” She said, her heart aching as he walked towards the door.  
           “I’m not, you are.” He said holding a hand out for her. “You’ll stay with us today, and tonight until it’s taken care of. I'll send word to your Uncle but, I promised myself to never let any harm come to you...not you" His voice wavered as he spoke "I almost broke that promise today, but I swear to you Cecilia it will never happen again."  
           She glanced down at the dead man and imagined dragging his body into the street. She didn’t even know how to deal with a dead body. But when she met Tommy’s eyes, she knew he did, and to stay here alone would be a death wish when word spread that Tommy had killed two henchmen. For now she would go with him, and stay in the safety of his home, but she wondered again how long this would last.  
           Her hand slid into his, and she felt the power in his grip as he pulled her from the doorway and past the blood. Cecilia genuinely hoped they would both live long enough to find out.

***

          The air rushed past her skin, loose strands of her curly hair whipped around her face, pesky as a fly, but she didn’t care. The speed, the sound, the way the world rushed past them as they went racing down an open stretch of road made her want to scream and laugh. But she just sat, relaxed and unmoving with her head laid back to let the wind wash over her as Tommy drove them through the country in his new car.  
          Lazily, Cecilia turned her head to watch him, the trees and sky framed by the window just a blur of color behind his profile.  
          Tommy’s cap was down hiding his eyes from her and the sun. His hands gripped the wheel, and she admired the way his well muscled forearms flexed and moved as he kept control of the car, calmly enjoying the ride as much as she.  
           They were on their way to see the Lee family. John's wife had given birth a few months ago, and there was finally time for a celebration, since the problem with Sabini had been taken care of after the attempt on her life.  
          Cecilia sighed, shaking her head as she thought of all the blood shed for money and status. The henchmen sent to kill her and send a message to Tommy had only been the tip of the iceberg. So much had happened after that, some she knew of most she never would, as he wanted nothing more than to protect her. But by putting business first, and plans on hold, Tommy was now in full control of all bets and races and Sabini was out of the way,leaving the two families to enjoy the good life, and today they would start it by welcoming a child into the world.  
           A wild, dangerous world. Cecilia thought, her eyes back on the road ahead. But if the baby was lucky, it would live to know real love and comfort. It wouldn't starve each night, or wash with dirty water once a week like so many of the children born in the city. It would never watch it’s father struggle to keep them housed or hear it’s mother cry for fear of all the things a mother should be able to protect her child from.  
          That baby has a real chance at a wonderful life because it’s father is a Shelby.  
          Her mind on children and motherhood, she looked down over the small swell of her breast to watch the fabric of her pale yellow dress flutter in the wind. She tried to see if her belly would show yet. She tried to see if maybe he might be able to tell. But nothing looked different. Only she knew, and it wasn’t certain. But a woman just knows these things, or so she hoped. Either way, Cecilia wouldn’t tell Tommy about the baby until it was fact, and not just an inkling of things to come.  
         After a while, she could see the colored flags decorating the Lee camp peaking over the pale green hills. They flapped wildly in the breeze and she was thankful for the wind on this hot summer day.  
        They arrived quickly then, over a small hill and down into the safety of family and friends.  
        She watched with a smile as Tommy was greeted with laughter and hugs from the men. They patted him on the back and kissed his strong jaw, all the while he just smiled and shook hands.  
        Always so collected. She thought as she stepped out of the car.   
        Feeling relaxed, she made her way through the noisy bunch, most of them smiling at her, though not all of the smiles seemed genuine. But she didn’t let it bother her.             
         Instead, she looked through the small sea of faces, and found the ones she’d been looking for.  
         The family had gone ahead of them, and were scattered about now. Ada was talking to some of the women. Arthur played a game of skill and luck on the steps of a caravan. And there standing beneath the colorful flags she found Polly and John's wife Esme.  
          “Welcome!” Esme said grinning as Cecilia approached. The two women embraced and clung to each other, a silent sort of kinship strong between them. A funny thing that happens to women that love men of the same family. Your struggles and stories become familiar, yet foreign enough that you can offer a bit of advice or warning when needed. Cecilia was glad for Esme as she glanced over to see Ada.  
          She still hadn't formed the same bond with Tommy’s sister. They liked each other quite a lot, but the honest truth was, Ada was one of them. She would never understand what it was like to go in willingly.  
          Cecilia's eyes fell back on Esme’s face, and she smiled kissing the girls cheek.  
          “Where’s the baby?” She asked.  
          “With my mother, they can get enough of her and won’t even let me hold the poor babe. She’s loved to much,” Esme said, her eyes hazy with the look of love a new mother always seems to have weather or not she knows it.  
          “Well,someone wont settle until he sees you sound.” Polly said softly.   
          Cecilia looked over at the woman, and knew she was speaking to her and exactly who she spoke of.   
        With a look over her shoulder she found Tommy in the crowd. He was talking and smiling with the men, but his eyes seemed to be hunting for her. It was so subtle, only she and Polly would ever notice. But notice they did, and Cecilia’s heart leapt.  
          To watch him that way, to see his concern for her outside the confines of his bedroom when there was no immediate danger was something so raw and real that she thought she might break into a run across the field and kiss him there in front of everyone. But instead she waited. Waited and watched him over her shoulder until he found her and his face relaxed. He watched for a moment, then went back to his business with the Lee’s, satisfied and able to enjoy the party.  
         Polly spun suddenly and glared at Cecilia, startling the girl.   
        The two women stood there, one eyeing the other, Esme’s hand gently taking Cecilia's. Polly's inquiring gaze moved over her body like a magnifying glass, her eyes lingering on the still flat stomach.  
         “Well, it seems you’ve done it then.Does he know?” Polly asked, her face set in stone but her mind clearly working it all out.  
           “Know what ?” Cecilia asked gripping Esme’s hand.  
            Polly’s eyes narrowed and she gave Cecilia the once over again, this time so slowly that the girl began to feel weak.  
           “Well If you don’t know, you will soon. I think its safe to say he doesn't. Well, he thinks he doesn’t, but a man wont look at a woman like that unless he’s worried for her safety. And why would he be worried for you here with nothing but family and friends…” Her voice faded and her face softened when she saw the frightened look in the girls eyes.  
           Cecilia let out the breath she’d been holding and looked down at the ground. “He doesn't know,” She said, her head spinning as the reality of the situation became just that, here and now. At the celebration for the birth of another child. She realized she would most certainly be doing the same.“I didn’t really know, well maybe i didn't want to.” She said absently.  
           “And why is that?” Polly asked a little defensively  
           Cecilia looked up at the woman, and it was her turn to study Polly. “Why? Why not… I’d be an idiot to think this will be easy, that a baby would be easy for him, or that people wont call it names or treat it differently because of their prejudice.” Her heart was racing and she felt the sting of tears welling up behind her eyes. “Maybe I should have thought of that before.”                  
          She looked across the field at him again. The sun was bright on his face, his blue eyes glowing with life, his smile softening  his features to resemble the man that laughed with her when their heads were on the pillows of his bed. “But, I couldn't help myself. Neither could he." She said the pressure of love heavy on her chest. "It’s the foolishness, the sickness that takes over your mind that makes you forget everything else when you know that you love someone, when you love someone like Tommy.” Her voice shook as a tear spilled and skipped down her cheek to the grass at her feet.  
         And then she felt the warm touch of Polly’s hand on her bare arm. “Hush. And look away. Dont tell him here.” She scolded just as Thomas seemed to notice the women watching at him, and the look on Cecilia’s face.  
          Cecilia glanced up at Polly unsure of what the woman would say or do. But the kindness on Pol's face laid her fears to rest. She had finally been fully accepted.   
          “Everything all right?” Tommy said walking towards them.  
          Cecilia turned away brushing tears from her face quickly before turning to smile at him.  
          “Just a bit of ladies talk. Nothing to concern you.” Polly said and flashed him a smile.  
          This struck a nerve with him, as he stopped in his tracks, resting his weight on his heels, eyes flashing from one face to the other. “Right, and I’m the bloody king of England.” He said rolling his baby blues as he took a long draw of his cigarette. “Whats going on, are you alright Cecilia?” He asked.  
          She looked up at him and nodded. “Of course!" She lied, but smiled sweetly "Go, see the boys and have some fun Tommy. You’re so serious.” Her grin was wide but steady.   
          He watched her through the smoke of his cigarette, his brows raising before he spoke “I’m always serious.” He said,  but his stern expression melted away into a small laugh.   
          That had been enough to satisfy him for now. He nodded and turned heading back to the others, accepting a mug of beer. Leaving the women with their knowledge and worry.  
          “You’re wrong.” Polly said, both women watching Tommy.  
          “About what?”  
          “That baby,” She said turning to look at Cecilia “Nothing will be hard for it, that baby, is a Shelby.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, second to last chapter. This took me a while because, you know, life. And my final draft was lost in the cloud somehow forcing me to write it all over again! But here we go. Things get a lot crazier for Cecilia and Thomas. Especially Cecilia who just cant stay out of trouble. Theres a little interaction between Alfie and others, the final chapter will see more of the family as well. Hope you like it, i'm working on the final chapter now to wrap this little story of mine up.  
> Thanks guys!

          Cecilia lay relaxed in her bed, her eyes fixed on a dark spot in the ceiling. She could hear nothing, save for the sound of her own breath as she drifted in and out of sleep.  
          As she remembered the morning, an overwhelming joy knotted her stomach and flooded her heart. She closed her eyes smiling and laughing a little, her hand pressed to her lips, shyly repressing the happy sound she wanted to make as she played it out again in her mind.  
           
         Tommy could tell she was keeping something from him, and as a man more accustomed to keeping secrets, not being kept from them, it was driving him mad. He would ask her quick little questions about her family or work, any sort of different thing to try and catch her off guard and trick the secret out of her. Until finally this morning, feeling a little sick, and very annoyed, she tossed the towel she’d used to dry her face at him from the basin and started yelling.       

         Lying here now she couldn't for the life of her remember what she’d said until she’d said the only thing that mattered.  
         
         “Tommy I’m pregnant.”  
         The words had come out before she could stop them, she gasped as they left her mouth, terrified of his reaction.  
         He must have stood there looking at Cecilia for a full five minutes before he came to her.  
         His eyes lowered to her belly, the muscles in his jaw working as he let the news wash over him. He said nothing, but his face told all.  
         “Are you angry?’ She finally asked.  
         He shook his head no and slowly reached out to lay his hand on her stomach. There was only a slight curve there. No real indication of the life that was forming deep inside.   
         “Are you sure?” He asked quietly.  
        She nodded chewing her bottom lip. “Yeah Tommy, I’m pretty sure. I think I’m a few months gone already. So much was happening, I didn’t realize, well I did but I just couldn’t believe it.”  
         He looked into her eyes and quieted her with a kiss on the forehead before walking over to his chair.  
         Tommy sat heavy as a stone , his arms and legs lifeless, head back, eyes up at the ceiling until after an eternity of silence, he sat up and grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the little smoking table beside his chair.  
        He inhaled deeply, drawing the white paper of the cigarette back in three breaths, leaving a long grey stem of ash that he quickly rubbed out in the tray.  
        “Are you mad, please tell me, I can’t bear the silence.” She said practically pleading with him. Her bare feet padded across the floor, carrying her towards him, but she stopped when he didn’t respond  
        “Tommy please.” She whispered.  
        He blew the last of the smoke from his lungs in a smooth stream and looked up at her, his eyes softened and kind.  
        “If it’s a boy, we name him… Arthur, and a girl .. well you can decide.” He said and smiled.  
        She stood blinking through the cloud of smoke not sure what that meant, until she realized he was looking at her the same way he always had. Like a man in love.  
         
        He’d held her in the chair on his lap for a long time then.  
        Even now, laying here alone, she could still feel his arms around her. How could she ever have been so afraid to tell him.  
       Giggling like a girl she rolled on her side, her hand relaxed over her small belly, so full of life. And her eyes shut with images of soft skin, and toothless grins filling her mind.   
       The sound of a baby laughing, the need to cradle it as it cries. These things would all be hers soon, and theirs together.

**

        The smell of the lunch she carried was enough to make Cecilia want to turn and run out the door of Tommy’s office and vomit, but as it was, she held it down and carried the basket past the secretary and knocked on the door of Shelby Brothers, Ltd.  
         “Come in,” He said, and she did with her head spinning from the nausea.  
         Happy to share a little time with him, she smiled at the image of her man sitting, looking regal in his new suit. But she stopped mid step as she realized he was not alone.  
         Another man sat in one of the nice dark leather chairs, his back to the door, still as stone.   
        “I’m sorry, I can come back later, I just have some lunch. I’ll leave it at the desk.” She said slowly shutting the door her head down, eyes up curiosity killing her.   
        “No, come in. We were just finishing. ”Tommy said and smiled at the unknown man.  
         She felt a little uneasy but nodded and shut the door behind her. She carried the basket to his desk and heaved the food heavy wicker onto the smooth wood.  
         Both men were smoking and drinking a little whiskey. Given the time, she realized they must have just sealed a deal.  
         Cecilia finally stopped fussing with the basket long enough to glance at the stranger and she was instantly taken by the man  
         He was, in a word, stunning. Even sitting, she could sense he was strong. A powerful man who was used to getting his way. He had a long beard with a bare slash right along his cheek, and a full mouth set in an odd pout.  
         He was just sitting calmly like any other business man might, but his eyes were another thing entirely. Something wild lay in them, like at any moment he might come unhinged completely. And then she realized it must be him, Alfie Solomans.  
         Of course, she thought as she emptied the contents of the basket. She could feel him watching her. And it made her hands shake just enough that he noticed. Embarrassed, she made a quick fist before finishing.  
         “And who is this?” He asked suddenly. “She’s dark, but my god she’s a beauty,” Alfie’s voice was a low, bone deep rumble with a terribly thick accent spread heavy over each word.  
         Cecilia instantly felt a twinge of excitement but pushed it aside before it could be noticed.  
         Tommy, sat back in his chair and looked up at her. He held nothing but pride and ideas in his eyes.  
         “This is Cecilia Clark, assistant to Polly, and mother of my child.” He said and reached over, his palm back to rub her now rounded belly. The light of the lamps reflected in the gold ring he wore on his little finger and she could feel the heat of his hand, but she kept her eyes on both men.  
         Something was going on here and she was sure she didn’t like it. But something about this man, about the way Alfie looked at them both told her to stay out of it as much as possible. She would wait until Thomas could tell her in private, away from this wild thing.  
         Alfie’s brows raised and his eyes grew wide “Ah. A child! How thrilled you must be. I had no idea you were a man of.. such taste.” He said glancing at her, his eyes dazzling and terrifying.   
        "Theres a lot you don't know.” Tommy said taking his hand away from Cecilia as he sat forward in his chair.  
        Both men studied each other for a while. Cecilia thought they looked amusingly like two cowboys with itchy trigger fingers, always ready for a gun fight. Neither would look away first, neither man would show weakness to the other, deal or no deal. She felt it safe to say, they were not exactly friends. Not yet.  
          Tired of this masculine display, she cleared her throat. “More to drink gentleman?” She asked loudly and headed for the bar along the wall.  
         She grabbed a canter with the expensive whiskey in it and came back to pour a little more for both of them.  
        “ You look like you’ve been working hard on something. Maybe now that it’s done you can sit back and enjoy the agreement you’ve come to?” She asked sweetly, sitting the glass bottle down on Tommy’s desk.  
         They kept their eyes set firmly on one another as they swallowed the drink.  
        “You’re a bright one you are. Cecilia is it?” Alfie asked, eyes slowly prying away from Tommy to see her again.  
         She just looked at him.  
        “You’re a very lucky woman,” He said  
         She nodded and crossed her arms.  
         “Yes, lucky indeed.” He raised the glass to his lips again. “We’ve just come to the sort of agreement that will see that baby spoiled rich by it’s first birthday, eh Thomas?”  
         Tommy snorted a small laugh and bowed his head in agreement as he drank again.  
         “Right,” She said not liking any of it. “I best get back, today is Thursday and we’re always busy after lunch.” She looked down at Tommy and tried to figure out what he was doing with this man, but as always he was calm and collected and nothing would be got from him until he was ready to give.   
         Whatever the hell was going on was a complete mystery to her, like most of his life. But one thing she knew, she would worry for him until he came home to her tonight. Left alone in a room with the likes of Alfie Solomans, who knows what trouble he could get into. She knew the sort she would wind up in as she glanced at him again. His smile was subtle and the way his eyes narrowed and widened with his thoughts made her feel naked.  
        It was more than time for her to leave. Shutting the door to the office, she wondered if Polly might light another candle for Thomas tonight at church.  
  
**

           Her eyes went from the clock on the wall to the dirty face of the man who sat waiting across from her. Cecilia felt her heart racing still, in spite of the time that had passed since he'd forced his way inside. She’d come home, her head in a fog after hours of numbers and handling the boring paper work of the business. A business she felt she was never allowed to really be a part of, and walked to her door only to feel the press of a cold barrel in her back.  
        “Inside, and I wont hurt you.”  
        “Please, my baby.” She’d said, before she could stop herself.  
        The man waited for her to open the door and gave her a nudge inside.  
        “ I don’t see any baby.” He’d said as she walked slowly into the dark room, her hands up though he hadn't asked her to.  
        “Not yet, soon though.” Her voice was as thin as a blade, she was struggling between the urge to fight and the overwhelming need to protect.  
        He didn’t do anything for a while once inside. Almost as though he couldnt believe this was working. Eventually he just told her to go sit in the chair “The one with all them flowers on it” He’d said. And he sat on the small dark sofa across from her.  
         
        He kept his hand in his pocket even as time went on, possibly still holding a gun, though she wasn’t so sure now.   
        She glanced at the clock again feeling more anxious as it ticked away with no sign of him.   
        Tommy usually came home before midnight when there wasn’t business to attend to, but tonight she had left him with Alfie, and that made her question everything.

        “Are you sure you’re not thirsty?” She asked again, hands gripping the arms of her chair, ready to push up.  
        “Sit down!” The man bellowed, stopping her. He shut his eyes tight, struggling to keep himself collected. “I’m sorry miss. I don't mean to shout, i just need you to stay where you are.”  
         She nodded and bit her lip analyzing the man.  
         Once he’d been inside of their home for a few minutes, he didn’t seem as frightening as he had when he was just a gun in her back with a voice.  
         He was nervous and looked more upset than angry. Not like a man out for blood. And his eyes would fall to her belly every so often and she thought she could detect a smile. He was clearly some hired hand who had been wronged and had a bone to pick with his boss. She could tell that he didn’t mean her any harm, but clearly thought it important to at least appear to have a grip on the situation he’d found himself in.  
         Cecilia cleared her throat and sat forward a little “Did he do something to you? Wrong you in some way?” She asked gently.  
         The man eyed her for a while, then looked away wringing his cap in his hands. “You could say that.”  
         “Well I’m sorry to hear that.” She said sitting back, her hand protectively cradling the weight of her belly. The baby inside was busy but she showed no change in her face, just waited patiently for the man to open up to her.  
         “Are you miss...are you? Cause it looks to me like you’re doin’ just fine, sittin’ here with your pretty things, and you’re fine tea set."He nodded to the set displayed on the side board. "It looks like you’re not needin’ a thing in this world.” His chin quivered as he looked up at the ceiling fighting with the emotion that had brought him here.  
        “What is it?” She asked truly concerned. “Please tell me, maybe I can help, I know him well.” She added  
         The man who seemed to be growing older as his troubles pressed in on him had to think about his for a while before he finally began to nervously speak, “It aint what he done to me you see.. it’s what he done to my boy. Not directly, but it all comes back to him.”  
         “It always does.” She said softly watching the man.  
         “My boy was killed fighting for him and the family. He left his two kids behind and his wife aint fit for work. She’s been sick for so long, she can’t help. So we took em in, me and my missus and we try our best. But, well I’m old now and what with the leg” he said tapping his right knee with his cap. “ I can’t work like I used to. And those kids, I swear they eat and want more before they’ve finished swallowing. We’re just about at our end here miss. We don't want to send em away, they’re good kids and we love em. But…”  
         “You need money, help from Thomas then?”  
         “Just whats owed us. Jim, my son, well he was promised pay for the work he done and we ain’t seen it yet. It’s just getting to the end for us you see.” He was repeating himself and her heart was breaking for him.  
         “Whats your name?” She asked him  
         “Bill, Bill Archer.”  
         She nodded and slowly stood so as not to alarm him. But the poor man was to overcome by worry to notice. The release of his story had defused the intensity of the situation and she knew now was the time to take advantage of his weakened state.  
          “Bill, you tell me how much Jim was promised, and I’ll go to the back room, just for a moment to get what I can for you now, but you’ll have to let me go get it for you,”  
           The man’s eyes lit up like a street lamp in the dark. His brows raised and he held his cap to his chest. “You would do that?” He asked stunned.  
           She nodded and smiled before turning to leave him for a moment.  
           “Bless you miss, you're an angel you are.” He said at the edge of his seat.  
          But as she started for the hall way, the front door opened and Thomas finally walked in , his guard down, but quickly up when he discovered the scene.  
          “Whats this?” He asked sliding his hands from his pockets.  
          Ceclia felt her heart jump. She was never so happy to see him, but still she knew he wouldn't be happy about Bill telling her his business, or her trying to help. But she just smiled and went to him, pulling the hat from his head, hanging it on the hook near the door.  
          “Thomas, this is Mr. Bill Archer. He’s come to us for help.”  
          “Come to us?” Tommy said watching her with a look that could freeze the fires of hell.  
           She swallowed hard knowing he would be angry that she’d offered the man money. Not because he wouldn’t, but because she had taken it upon herself to fix the problem.   
           “He’s come to see you, but you weren't here,” She said standing firm, a small power house, radiating a soft sort of sexuality in her rounded body that distracted him for a moment. But only a moment. “So I talked to him for a while,” She went on “He says his son worked for you and was killed but they never received his part of the pay.” She chose to leave his forced entry out of the re-telling, Bill might only get a bullet if Tommy knew how he’d gotten in the house. And she was fairly certain she'd caught a glimpse of a beer bottle, not a gun in his pocket. Hardly worth the blood.   
          Tommy shot the old man a look ,and poor Bill could only lower his head and shrink away.  
         “We didn't want to do this, but, we got not choice.” He said standing up very slowly.  
          Tommy assessed the situation quickly, and nodded in understanding to the man. He went to him and slid and arm around Bill’s slouched shoulders. “Come into the office with me.” He said guiding the man back through the house. “Cecilia, will you get us something to drink?” He said not looking back at her.  
          She stood in the shadows of the room watching them go. It seemed to be like this now. Had been like this, since the attempt on her life. He’d been pushing her farther and father away when it came to the business. It didn't matter to him that she was Polly's assistant, which was a rather large promotion from bar maid or the fact that Polly thought her capable of the job. She had in fact excelled in matters of money and numbers. She had become an integral part of the book keeping and organization of the business. So why he still tried to hide her from the reality of it all was beyond her.  
          It was almost as though Tommy saw her as a fragile glass figure meant to be kept on a shelf and displayed. To be admired and talked about but never actually used for anything. And she couldn’t imagine living like that for the rest of her life.  
          How could he think she would be satisfied being completely ignorant to the goings on of the house she lived in and the business she worked for.  
          Letting out a deep breath she squared her shoulders and followed after the men. She quietly poured them both a drink before sitting down in a small chair in the corner.  
          They were in the middle of speaking over his oak desk, when Thomas looked up at her, his eyes dark. “You look tired my love.” His tone cold and the suggestion clear.  
          “Do I, my love?”  
          He nodded and pointed at her, his fingers still pinching his cigarette. “You should get to bed.”  
          She sat defiant for a while until Bill turned around and smiled weakly at her. “You don't need to worry yourself with this anymore miss. This aint ladies work. But you are kind, and i’ll be sure your man here knows all about your generosity.”  
          Cecilia laughed, once, hard and loud before standing. “Well then good sirs, goodnight.”She said and spun around to leave the room, slamming the door behind her, leaving Tommy to sit, staring at the dark wood of the door where she had been, his eyes narrowed in thought. “Right, where were we?” He asked the old man and stubbed out his cigarette.  
  
**

           The door to their room opened and she sat still as a stone on the big bed, arms crossed waiting for him to shut it .  
            He didn’t speak, just pulled at his shirt, unbuttoning it, slowly undressing until he stood in his pants and an undershirt glaring at her.  
           “You want to be in this business Cecilia?”  
           She shrugged. “Well i dont know Tommy, you never let me do anything outside of placing bets and helping Polly.”  
           “And that isn’t enough?” He asked.  
           She shrugged again.  
           He shook his head, annoyed with her. “Why do you need to be involved in this so badly. After the things you've seen, and what's happened to you because of it.”  
           “I just want to help.” She said, even though she was very understanding of his logic as memories of the day he shot the men who'd been sent to kill her came back.  
           “You are helping, you help Pol, you help me, everyday that you’re here you help. Isn’t that enough?”  
           She sighed and lowered her head resting her hand on top of her belly. “No, not when i see things like you meeting with Alfie Solomans!”  
           He was pacing, but stopped long enough to glare at her. “You, don’t need to even know his name.”  
           “Why not? You’re making deals with him, deals that will effect you, which will in turn effect me and eventually the baby. I never know Thomas, I never know what’s going on with you, if you’ll come home to me or if they’re going to come knocking to say your body’s been found bloated and pale, face down in the river.”  
           She kept staring down at the print on the bed spread, a new one she’d just ordered, to angry and sad to look up at him. But his hand slid past the curtain of her thick wild curls to cup her chin and lift her face.  
           “That’s not going to happen.”  
           “How do you know?” She asked her eyes large and searching.  
          “Because I know, I know everything that happens here, and i know it’s not my time to die.”  
           She jerked her head away irritated by his voice. “That’s ridiculous.”  
           “Is it?”  
           “Of course it is, no one knows when they’re going to die. It just happens. And because of what you do, it could just happen any day. And then what… I’d be here, with a baby and you six feet under the ground.”  
            “That’s not going to happen” He repeated sitting on the bed.  
            She sighed and shook her head wondering if he would ever stop with the charade. “It will one day, you aren't immortal. And because you aren't I like to know whats going on, so that it wont come as a complete surprise.”  
           “You keep busy with the work you do, don't you?”  
            “Yes”  
           “Then you don’t have time to worry so much about what I do and when I’ll die.”  
            “You're a goddamn fool if you think I can just keep my nose buried in the books and forget all that goes on when you’re out there.”  
            “I don't need you to forget, I just need you to stay out of it. You’re going to be a mother Cecilia.”  
           “Yes, I know”  
           “Then you know how important it is, you’ve got the one job I will never have. And it’s more important to me than all of this.”  
           She looked up at him through her hair and smiled, but there was no warmth or kindness in it. “No it’s not.” She said softly and she knew he couldn’t lie about that.  
            He said nothing then, just starred at her, his eyes wide and angry. She’d spoken the truth. That this life, this world he’d become a god in was more important to him than anything else. And try as he might he couldn't deny it.  
           Thomas stood and went to the basin to splash water on his face before drying with a towel and coming back to her.  
           He knelt down in front of her and held her face tight in his hands. “This, all of this” He said eyes rolling over the pretty things that filled the room “This is for you, and that baby growing in you now. This is for my family and me.”  
           She tried to look away but he wouldn't allow it. “I want you to be safe, you’re carrying my child Cecilia, if anything were to happen.” He stopped, letting go of her face, his head dropping a little, and she watched his shoulders rise and fall slowly as he took a deep breath.  
           “I know Thomas,” She said, her voice flat as she struggled between her urges to touch him or push him away. She found herself in a very strange place and wasn’t exactly sure how she should feel about it all. Of course she wanted to be a part of the empire he was building. How could she not after watching the way it changed their lives, and she also wanted to know that he’d be safe. But there was her own internal struggle between the right and wrong of it that confused her as well.  
            What a strange feeling, she thought, to want to be a part of something he felt such a need to keep her from, and in some ways, rightfully so. But then to enjoy all the comforts that came from so much wrong. But left up to the societal structures, the decent folks idea of hard work, Tommy would spend his days working in a factory for next to nothing while she struggled to keep them clean and fed. It would be misery compared to the life he gave them all now. How could it be wrong to make a better world for yourself and those you love.  
            But Alfie, Bill Arthur. So many deals had to be made, so many hearts must be broken to rise to this level and the fear that it would all come crashing down around them was never far from her mind.  
            Her fingers slowly slid up the line of his jaw and nestled in his hair smoothing it away from his face. She loved him, and she understood. And like a woman tends to do, she let it rest for now because the fight didn't seem worth the energy.

**

           The morning light flooded the room, tinted amber by the thin drapes that did little to block it out. Cecilia stirred and opened her eyes to find Thomas stretched out beside her. His body bathed in light.  
           Raising up onto her elbow, her head cradled in her palm, her eyes followed the long length of him. His skin, smooth and decorated with a few tattoos and the scars of war and bad fights lost and won, was covered in a fine hair in the places it wasn't thicker and darker.  
          She watched his chest rise and fall, the muscle of his arm twitched gently as he moved his head. She studied the thin skin of the place between hip bone and thigh and smiled at the sight of his strong legs, one stretched, the other bent at the knee.  
           “Are you watching me?” He asked, his voice all gravel and sleep as he smiled and opened one eye to look up at her.  
           She nodded and ran her fingers up his side and along his ribs, stopping to rest her hand over his heart. “I am,”  
           He made a little laugh and closed his eyes again. “And what did you see?”  
           She took in a deep breath and pulled herself up towards his face. “A man.”  
          He glanced down at the sheet that covered his waist and nodded. “Yeah, I am that.”  
           She smiled but went on “A man, that loves his family, who loves the things he does because no matter how bad it gets, he always makes it better for those he loves, and those he will love.”She said softly, rubbing the belly that separated them.  
          He opened his eyes then and looked down, his hand covering hers.  
          Tommy reached up, gently grabbing her face, bringing it down to him to press his lips against hers.  
          She laid down beside him and lost herself in the kiss, her breath becoming more shallow as he pushed the silk of her nightgown up and over the curve of her thigh until he could sink his fingers into her hip, widened with the change of pregnancy.  
          “I saw you Tommy.” she said her lips brushing against his “I saw you, sleeping like a baby, so happy to be here, with me. And i know now why you want to protect me so much.”  
           He pulled away, his eyes heavy, lips parted as he waited for her to speak again  
           “You want to protect me because without me, without this” she pushed his hand back down to her stomach. “Without the house and your car and family you would have nothing. You would stop being you and try as you might, you’re not good at doing this alone. You need us to make any of it worth the fight.”  
            He looked down on her eyes blinking as he considered her words.  
          She stroked the soft bristles of his beard not yet shaved, and ran a finger over the strong bone of his brow and cheek.  
          “And I want you to know, that I’m in, Im here and I always will be if it means that you’ll keep going and fighting for us, and protecting me and our child. I love you Tommy, and all I ask is that you let me in, tell me what you can so that I know you’ll be coming home to me at night, not dead at the hands of men like Alfie Solomans. If my part in all of this is to be yours and the mother of your child, and to help Polly, then I’ll do it gladly. I might even surprise you if you let me.”  
            He smiled then and shook his head a little “ You’re a funny woman Cecilia.”  
            “And why is that?”She asked brows knitted in confusion.  
            “You think you need to tell me this. I already know. I already knew when you fist walked through those doors at the Garrison. I knew the moment you poured me a drink that you would be the one to lie beneath me in the morning and pledge your life to mine, because as much as I knew this about you, I knew it was true for me too. I love you in a way that makes me, angry and happy… like a fucking boy.” He laughed ,amused by the truth in his own words.  
            Tommy sat up and looked down on her, her eyes still tired, but her heart beating hard enough to make the silk of her gown flutter. “And if you think I’d ever let you do anything but love me, you’ve got it all wrong.” He said and pulled the straps of her slip down, her heavy breast bouncing free.  
            He pulled her up and kissed her hard, his hand closing in a patch of her thick hair to pull her head back.He kissed her exposed neck and she gasped at the feel of his soft lips and wet mouth. His skin warmed by the sun, and his own natural internal furnace, was alive beneath her fingers as they explored.  
            Her pregnancy had brought on a endless need and want to be near him and fucked by him. She loved the smell of him and the taste. Her anger from last night had faded sometime before dawn while she slept, leaving her with a strong urge seek a revenge for the argument that would satisfy them both.  
            Her lips brushed his chest, her tongue ran along the smooth line of his neck. He took in a deep breath just as she met his lips to kiss him again.  
            Holding onto her Thomas went up to his knees, her the same in his arms as he pulled her slip down the rest of the way.  
             He groaned approval at her nakedness and ran and gentle hand over her swollen belly before reaching back to grab the round expanse of her smooth ass.  
            Smiling at the way he responded to her body, Cecilia pressed her hands against his chest pushing him down onto his back.  
            Perched over him like a conquerer, she reached down and stroked him slowly until his eyes shut and his breathing became heavy and fast. It was nice to have the power, especially with a man like him. Thomas tried his best to treat her equally, but it was not in his nature to bend to a woman’s will unless he wanted to. Or unless she held him hard and ready in her hand, controlling when and if he could loose himself in that moment of climax.  
             She raised up just enough to guide him to her warm slick place that made every muscle in his body tense at the tease. She lowered her body slowly letting him inch his way in, her fingers pressing into his strong chest in protest, her smile growing with approval.  
           His hands slid up over her thighs, fingers stretched out until they closed over her hips, but still she set the pace.   
           Her head dropped slowly back as the feel of him inside became a familiar mix of pleasure and pain and absolute pleasure.  
           Tommy reached up grabbing one breast, brown and full, her nipples, darkened over the past few months, were so much more sensitive, and the feel of his fingers brushing over them, pinching and pulling made her gasp and cry out as she rode him harder. His fingers dug into the curve of her hip until he met her thrust with his own, her breast bouncing in response.  
           Cecilia opened her eyes and looked down at him knowing it would be soon. She leaned forward resting her hands on his chest again to give him more room to rise up and crash into her.  
          The sight of her brown arms pressed against the white of his was beautiful to her, the difference was as dear to her as the similarities they shared. And her heart fluttered as she watched the man she loved close his eyes and flash a smile she was sure he was unaware of. She felt him shudder with the breaking of the damn as he came hard and long until he was drained and went limp beneath her.  
           She leaned over and kissed his brow before pushing up to see him again. "You see Thomas," She said a little breathless "You think you know so much, but you never can tell what the future holds."  
           "What's that?" He asked with a sigh, eyes half open not really hearing her.  
           "You're not the one on top anymore. I am. And here you are, pledging your body to mine, just as i knew you would." She said poorly imitating his accent through a grin.  
           He laughed and shook his head with a disappointed groan at her attempt to twist what he'd said to her.   
          “Yeah, alright.” He said his tone patronizing, but he still smiled. "Give us a cigarette then. And get off before that great ass of yours crushes my balls."  
           Eyes wide and mock horror on her face, she gasped and threw light punches at his chest making him laugh until he sat up and grabbed her, holding her tight.  
          "I'm sorry." He said as his eyes closed, the soft scent of her hair comforting and familiar.   
          "You're a bastard." She said gently, her own wide smile hidden against his shoulder.   
          "Yes, that is true." He said and slid her carefully off of his lap. Thomas let out a deep breath raising a brow at her.   
          "But, so long as you're with me, to help me as you've said you would, I might turn out to be a good man after all.” He said leaning back on his elbows.  
          "Just start with being a good father, and I'll let the rest slide for a while." She said while Thomas sat admiring her beauty for a moment before he spoke.   
          "Bastards make wonderful fathers haven't you heard." He said shaking his head, his eyes drifting off to gaze at nothing across the room. His chest gave a great, slow rise and fall as he took a breath, heavy with the weight of the future and the slowing of his heart after sex.  
           "No, but I've heard that strong willed men, with patience and determination are really quite good at it. And when they fail, theres always an even more patient woman, with a stronger will, whose more determined to make him see that he is good. So, don't worry. It will all be fine." She said as Tommy smiled and pushed up, leaning over to kiss her belly before laying down beside her.  
          "If you say so Cecilia. If you say so."

 

          The birth of the baby came early on a chilly fall morning. The women came together for Cecilia aiding the doctor in any way that they could. It was long and hard, but she found her strength and bore down, pushing the baby into the world to be greeted with the joy and the tears of the women around her.  
         “A girl” Polly said, holding the baby up for Cecilia to see, her own face glowing with a smile and love. The baby opened her tiny mouth and let out one good cry to the absolute relief and joy of her mother who reached for the baby as she felt tears stream down her cheeks, hitting her warm breast, ready to nurse for the first time.  
   
         **

         “A girl” Tommy whispered looking down at the sleeping babe in his arms. “Poor thing, you’re lucky you are. A girl has it hard in this world.” He looked over his shoulder at Cecilia sleeping in the bed, “But you live in mine. And my girls get everything their hearts desire.”  
  


        **

        “My sweet darling girl, we shall have to find a name for you, my love” Cecilia smiled down at the child whose eyes were far to curious and aware for such a new thing. “You are the most precious thing in all the world to me. And your papa knows that he must be the best man he can be to make you happy every day. And that nothing must ever happen to you, or there will be a world of hell to pay, to me.” She bent her head to smell and kiss her daughter. The love she felt was so powerful she feared it. Taking one tiny fist into her own , she wondered how something so small could hold her heart completely.   
  
        **

       One whiskey came after the other until Thomas Shelby was good and properly drunk. The cheers and laughter of the men surrounding him as they celebrated, echoed long into the night until sleep took some, sickness the others, and a new found serenity Thomas, as it carried him home to sleep knowing his child would grow up to be a beautiful woman like the mother that birthed her. But a Shelby woman and this was the greatest thing of all.

 

1 YEAR LATER

         

          So he'd come then.  
          Thomas stood, his hands in his pockets, cap down nearly covering his eyes. He looked like a statue on the dreary platform surrounded by the steam of the trains staring at her. But she knew inside his mind was racing, as it came to terms with what was happening. The fact that she was already aboard and to far away for him to talk her into going home would be driving him mad. He could not take them back.  
         And though she couldn't see  through the dim light and the shadow of his hat, she could feel the power of his cool blue eyes on her. He hated her no doubt, she knew he must now, because she had done the one thing she swore she never would.  
        She'd left. Written a note, taken only a few things to get them to the train and finally the ship that would carry them over the ocean and back home to America.  
        Her heart was pounding, which was shocking as she was certain it had been broken months ago, but there it was still beating like it should, aching deep in her chest. The pain was to unbearable to be brushed aside as imagined.  
       The baby stirred, waking slowly from her nap."Mama." She said softly, her voice threatening a cry.  
        Cecilia began to bounce her gently and hushed the child unable to look away from the man who'd made her.  
        She was sick with the reality of something she'd only really decided to do in the last few days, something that a year ago would have seemed impossible, but today here she was... leaving Thomas Shelby.

**

        Of all the things that could be said about Thomas, one thing remained a constant truth. He loved his daughter.  
        From the first moment Polly placed the tiny sleeping bundle in his arms, he'd fallen in love with her.  
        Evelyn Evangeline Shelby came into this world a true beauty, with thick black hair as straight as a pin, soft and fine. Her skin was the most lovely shade of sepia and her eyes were as large as her mothers, and the color of honey. She was his absolute pride and joy. And Cecilia loved him all the more for it.  
        She could sit and watch him play with the baby for hours if only it would last that long. But he was so often pulled away to his office or to deal with problems with the business. And though things were fairly calm, in a world of money, violence and crime, calm was one fight instead of four.  
         She hated that he couldn't dedicate more time to the baby but she also understood why he had to go. Or so she kept telling herself.  
         In the quiet fortress of their home, Tommy held his daughter kissing her soft round cheek as she gummed her tiny fist.  "Are you hungry?" He asked, his face pressed close to hers."Poor Evie, I cant help you with that" He said smiling as she looked around the room, her only concern for food and comfort.  
         Cecilia reached up to take the girl from him, smiling and kissing her before she pulled her night gown away to nurse the baby.  
          Tommy stood over them watching for a while, content, but tense.  
         "Its alright Thomas, you should go, we'll see you when you come home." Cecilia said. She looked up at him and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.   
         He'd kissed her head, his lips resting on the smooth skin of her forehead for a while until he pulled away as if suddenly realizing the time.  
         She'd watched him dress that morning, in a rush, cursing and angry that he'd be late to whatever it was he so sorely needed to attend. And as she watched, her day played out as a familiar repeat of the last.  
         She wanted nothing more than to be with the child she loved so dearly, but she would have been happy to share the time with him. But she would soon find that being alone and worrying for him throughout the day was only the beginning.  
        The nights slowly got later, later than they had been before Evelyn was born. More than a few times he would get angry with her questions until she stopped asking and just waited.   
         He was still the same man in many ways, still loved her, still loved the child, but the money and the life seemed to consume the rest of him. It had finally started to go to his head. And though he tried to deny the way it had changed him, even Thomas couldn't turn a blind eye to what happened last, the thing that lead her to leave.  
  
**  
         Cecilia sat wishing the train would pull away as the memory came back choking her with fear. The events of that night were as clear to her now as they had been a few months ago. The passing of time had done little to comfort her, and each detail began to play out in her mind yet again.

**  
         The men of a rival came and broke into the home when Thomas wasn't there. She had just put Evie down for the night when she heard the crashing of furniture downstairs. Knowing it wasnt a drunk Thomas as he was never violent or sloppy enough to make a scene, she shut the door to Evelyn's room and locked it, standing like a lioness over the basinet ready to do anything to keep her baby safe  
        The men made their way up the steps after crashing their way through the house. She could hear the slamming of the other doors and the muffled sounds of their voices as they laughed and ransacked.  
        She'd stood with her eyes shut willing them to keep away from the last door, but they took notice of the room and  broke through within minutes.  
  
**  
         Cecilia sat on the train holding her daughter tight , her eyes shut as she remembered how it felt to see them there, grotesque in the beautiful room she'd decorated for Evelyn.

**

         "Who's this? The nanny?" One of the two said giving her a dirty look. He pulled a knife eyeing her with disgust.  
         "Wait!" The other said grabbing his partners arm. "Thats his woman," He was clearly to afraid to do harm to the woman Thomas had killed and maimed for.  
         The other man looked from his friend to Cecilia confused and a little shocked before grinning. "You like white cock then? I've got one for you."  
         She'd hardly heard his words, all she cared about was the baby.  
         "Come on then , if you like it so much, come and get the real thing." He said fumbling with his pants. The other man was shaking his head no.  
        "Just a message, no need to start a war." He advised.  
         "What do you mean" The knife wielder shot back over his shoulder, he was slowly approaching Cecilia.  
        "Don't touch her Mac, don't do it. Not if you know what's best for ye"  
        The mans brows met in a furious frown as he turned to look at his friend. "Do you not have any balls at all Murph? Fucking hell man, why the fuck should I care what he thinks of some black bitch."  
         "You're right." She said softly "Why should you care?"  
         The man spun and looked her.  
          "You shouldn't care at all. He's never here. Whats the worst that could happen to you? He'll never know" She said, the words slipping from her mouth, fear making her shake as she found herself believing them.  
        "This a joke?" He asked taking a step back.  
         Cecilia looked up at the man with tears in her eyes, "There's guns here, lots of them hidden to protect me when he's not here. Because he's never here. It's just us...He broke his promise..." She stopped realizing something "I should break mine."  
           The mans face twisted up in disgust. "What the fuck are you talking about! Shut up!" He yelled and woke the baby who started to cry just enough, that attention was brought to her. "  
          "That your bastard then?" He asked peering over Cecilia's shoulder. She was still in a daze thinking of all the ways Thomas had let her down when she realized Evelyn was crying now and the man was looking down at her.  
          Snapping out of it with a start, Cecilia gripped the edge of the basinet facing them both, her body daring him to try.  
          "Aw come on, let us have a look at the heir to the throne" He teased and tried to move her aside.  
         Cecilia stood gripping, her eyes burrowing into his. Her face was stone, set in a mothers determination not to let anything happen to her baby.  
           "Stubborn are ye?" The man said with a grimace. He raised the knife to her belly "Either you move out of the way, or i'll make sure no more little Shelby fuckers are brought into this world."  
         She was shaking harder now but she would not move, she raised her head a little higher refusing to back down in spite of the poke of his knife below her navel.  
         "If you think I'll let you harm my child you're an even bigger fool than you look. You dare touch her, dare to even look at her. And i'll kill you." She said her voice low and deep and full of the sort of raw emotion that hinted at her ability to keep true to her words." I'll slit your throat. With that knife." Her pupils had dilated making her eyes look as empty as a dolls. The man lowered his knife a little looking down in wonder at the woman.  
         The man who'd stood watching in the door way came slowly closer, his hands up in surrender. "No miss, no one wants to hurt you or the child. Just send a message to Thomas, thats all." He said and tugged at the other's sleeve.  
         Cecilia did not waver, did not lower her eyes. She just stood, the muscles of her arms flexed as she held onto that basinet. The man looked her up and down again and shook his head.  
         "Fine Murph, just a message then." He said and his shoulders lowered as he slowly backed down .

*  
          Cecilia hung her head looking down at the baby as the train began to hum with life. They would be pulling away soon.  She shut her eyes trying to remember what happened next, but it was all so fast.

*  
           She thought it was over, just as he'd wanted her to. She shut her eyes and let a few tears roll down her cheeks with relief. But then she felt the air rush in the room as he spun and her eyes opened just in time to see his fist closing in on her.  
          The blow to her head was enough to knock her to the ground. The world was all fog and stars and had begun to lurch, quickly spinning before she blacked out.  
          The last thing she did was raise her hand in the hopes of pleading for the life of her little girl.

**  
          Thomas was shaking as he slowly walked through the house. He didn't dare call her name for fear she wouldn't answer. He cursed himself for having not come home sooner but didn't let his regret stop him from making his way through the hall to check the kitchen before he bound up the stairs.  
          Their room was empty and only mildly ruined.  
          A shiver went up his spine as he turned in the hallway to find the door of Evelyn's room open just a crack.  
          Time itself seemed to stop as he reached out pushing the door open slowly.  
          It was dark, lit only by dim moonlight. But he saw it all instantly.  
          Cecilia lay face down, unconscious on the floor. The baby awake beside her still wrapped in a blanket was cooing and her little arms and legs kicked and reached like nothing in the world mattered.  
           Thomas ran his hands hard over his eyes wanting to wipe the image from his mind. His shaking fingers dug into the thick of his hair as he took a breath holding in a cry, horrified by the sight of it.  
          Kneeling beside them, he picked up the child whose eyes grew large having been startled by the touch, but at the sound of her fathers breathing she quieted. He ran a hand over her soft hair and looked her over as best he could before putting her back in her basinet.She seemed to be alright. But Cecilia.  
          He turned, not wanting to face it and sank to his knees slowly turning her over onto her back.  
          She rolled over limp, blood dried and caked in her hair at the temple. Thomas had seen more dead bodies than he could count, had been the reason why many of them ended up that way, so he knew one when he saw it. She wasn't dead.  
         They'd just knocked her around. Still, he couldn't bear it as he pulled her into his arms.  
         So small, so foolishly brave, he thought. "I'm sorry" He whispered into her hair relief and guilt consuming him. He held her for a while until he found the strength to fix the situation.  
          Thomas stood and picked her up, carrying her to their bed where he laid her down and gently kissed her bruised lips. Within minutes he was downstairs phoning their personal doctor. "Tell him, ten minutes, ten or I burn it down."    
        And then he sat, waiting for the man to come with a cigarette pressed between his fingers, his eyes set on Cecilia while he waited for her to wake.  
        With all that he could do for the moment done, he cried then, not making a sound, just letting the tears fall with the freedom of not being seen.  
        Thomas smoked slowly, crying until the cigarette was nothing more than a nub burning his fingers. He put it out and ran both hands over his face to rid himself of the tears. It would not do to sit and cry, he told himself. He would wait and be there for her when she woke, and then he would kiss her goodbye and commence with the killing.  
  
 **  
         The train finally began to pull away. Cecilia watched as he faded into a silhouette until he was lost in the dark and the mist. Gone, for how long she didnt know. But she'd told him why in her letter.  
         She had explained it all,crying as she wrote,and asked him for forgiveness for taking his daughter away. And she asked that if he was angry to only be angry with her and not Evelyn. The poor girl was only a year old and had no choice in the matter, for if she had she surely would not have picked the likes of Thomas Shelby, or perhaps not even a mother like Cecilia Clark.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alright, the end has come!  
> This chapter seals their fate and finds them right where they belong. Enjoy and let me know what you think ... also, I can't wait for season 3!

               The chatter of the cafe was all background noise to the thoughts racing through Cecilia's mind.  
               She sat staring down at her cup of coffee, untouched and cooling, black against the white china and lace table cloth.  
               "Are you hearing me?"  
                She was, in fact she heard Ada's words clearly, she just wasn't sure she wanted to.  
               "I say he's change Cecilia, even I can see it. And It was me that wanted to break free of him and the family most of all."  
               Cecilia shrugged a little and picked up a small spoon stirring the coffee though she'd forgotten all about cream and sugar.  
               "At least respond to his letter." Ada said sitting back, frustrated with Cecilia's lack of conversation.  
               "I can't" She said softly  
               "Why not?"  
               "I just can't"  
               Ada shook her head then quickly leaned forward to whisper "You're killing him. He's not the same without you or Evie. It's to much for him and if you don't do something and he gets killed cause he cant focus...'  
               Cecilia did not take mildly to threats, no matter how innocent they may be. After years of living in a world where words like Ada’s could get you killed or worse, she found herself angry with the girl, and her head rose slowly as she met the burning glare of Tommy’s little sister. "You've traveled a long way to get here, I can't imagine you did it just to insult or threaten me"  
               Ada rolled her eyes and popped a bite of scone into her mouth chewing loudly. "I just wanted to see Chicago, and you just happened to be here."  
               Cecilia sighed shaking her head at the feisty younger woman and looked out the window of the cafe. She was harmless, annoying at times, but harmless.  
               The city was alive with the rush of mid day activity. She liked it here, truly enjoyed the ability to fade into a crowd of people, no one knowing who she was, or more importantly who he was.  
               She and Evelyn had made something of a life in the windy city. And even though she worked long hours at the cafe it was good honest work that never put anyone's life on the line. Her mother had also moved up from the country to with help her with the quickly growing toddler and Cecilia had even met a man.  
               His name was James, and he was a kind, quiet man, who was always quick with a smile. He worked along side his father, making an honest living as a tailor in their shop a few streets over.  
               Two years had gone by slowly until she allowed herself a little taste of happiness with someone else, and just as she was getting used to waking without tears, Ada Shelby had shown up outside her door this morning to do what, she wondered. Take her back? Beg her to go home on behalf of her brother who couldn't be bothered to come and do it himself. Not that it would matter, she thought shaking her head. She couldn't take her daughter back to that place, no matter how much she missed him, she could not put Evelyn in danger again. They'd survived it once, she thought it would be pressing their luck to see if they could survive it again.  
               "Listen." Ada went on. "I know why you left, I really do, and I can't say I wouldn't do the same, but you have to trust me that things have changed. He wont tell me anything, but I know it's different now"  
               "Sounds like the exact same Thomas." Cecilia said, disappointment straining her voice.  
               Ada could only cross her arms, her mouth tight as her mind raced to defend him.  
               Seeing that the girl was desperate and about to act like the wild Shelby she was, Cecilia spoke up before Ada could.  
               "I appreciate you coming here, really I do. I have missed you and Polly and everyone, but I know whats right for me and my child. If Thomas wants to put the gangster life behind him then we'll talk and I'll be ready to listen, but based on what you're telling me right now, nothing has changed and nothing ever will." She stood and picked up her cup and the plate with the half eaten scone. "I've got to get to work, thanks for stopping by." She said and headed for the doors to the kitchen.  
               Ada sat slouched in her seat, watching her go, her mouth open ready to speak, but she had nothing to say.

 

               It was seven o'clock. She'd be off in an hour and was glad for it. Abby, the girl that normally came in at one was still sick, and Cecilia had been working morning to close every day this week. She was exhausted and ready to relax, but James had insisted they see the new picture that had just come out last week. Reluctantly she agreed though she wanted nothing more than to kiss her baby and sleep heavy beside her, but she liked him enough that she decided to sacrifice one night. Though staying awake would prove to be her biggest challenge.  
               "Goodnight C.C.!" Old Mr.Sims said with a wave as he left the shop  
               She smiled and waved goodnight, wiping down the counters. The old man, an every day regular had left his cup and saucer on the counter and wiped down his own table making her smile. He was a sweet man.  
               "I'm going in the back, have you got this?" The owner Mrs. Brown asked.  
               "Yes, and i've got a date tonight so I'll be leaving just a few minutes early, if thats alright?"  
               The round woman with red cheeks and frizzy blond hair, quite the opposite of her namesake smiled and nodded. "Yes of course, you've worked very hard this week. And that man James is." She whistled and raised her brows up and down making Cecilia laugh.  
               "Thanks Mrs. B." She said and quickly got to work shutting the shop down. This sort of mindless work took about an hour and was a hell of a lot easier without worrying over tobacco buckets and spilled beer. Away from that chaos, she could get everything done in half the time.  
Chairs up, tables wiped, left over sweets wrapped for the next day to be sold at half price and her work completed, Cecilia stood back eyeing the room, pleased to be done with it.  
               By the time she looked up to find James smiling and standing outside the cafe doors, she was done and ready.  
               She waved and ran to grab her purse, glancing in the mirror. Not her best but he'd met her covered in coffee grounds and sweating from a particularly hard day. This was certainly an improvement.  
               "Hello gorgeous." He said as she opened the door. He presented a small bouquet of yellow and white flowers making her laugh with delight.  
               "Thank you! They're beautiful!" She said and kissed his cheek.  
               His blinding white smile stood out against his smooth mahogany skin. His almond shaped eyes were a warm brown, and so inviting. Still, the feel of his skin against her lips made her step back feeling a little unsure. She could only hope he hadn't noticed.  
               "Shall we?" He asked offering her an arm.  
               She nodded, pushing any thoughts of the last man she'd kissed from her mind and slipped her arm around his.  
               They talked quietly as they made their way down the busy Chicago street. The sun was still up as it was early spring and she enjoyed the feel of the cool breeze after working all day. It was all rather nice. Something she          knew she could get used to in time, once she let go of the past and allowed this to happen.  
               Still smiling feeling both relaxed and excited, she looked up as they rounded the corner but was stopped dead in her tracks, her fingers digging into James’ arm.  
               The flowers that only moments ago had held so much promise fell from her hand to the dirty sidewalk alarming him, but forgotten by her.  
              “Cecilia!" James reached down grabbing the bundle and stood to offer them back "Are you alright? You look like you might be a little sick" He said fussing over her.  
               She stood unblinking, her heart pounding, thumping, racing in her chest. She couldn't moved or speak for what felt like an eternity, until she realized that James was still standing there asking her what the matter was.  
               He had done nothing wrong and should not be subjected to this. "I.. I'm feeling a little light headed." She said slowly turning to face him.  
               The worry on his face warmed her heart. She smiled weakly and hung her head ashamed to do this to him. "I'm so sorry, will you forgive me if I go home?"  
               He shook his head furiously "No of course not! I'm sorry, I know you've been working hard, I've been selfish."  
               "No, no not at all." She said her hand light on his cheek. "You're kind and wonderful, and thank you for the flowers. I can just walk back to the train, it's only a block."  
               "I'll walk you."  
               "No no, I'm fine , really. A little embarrassed, would you do me a kindness and just let me go on alone. I'll ring tomorrow, I promise" She said hoping it would work.  
               He frowned shaking his head. "No, what if you faint or something."  
               "I'm just tired, nothing to serious. You go on and see your movie. I'll ring tomorrow. Please" She said her heart still racing. Please James, for your own sake get out of here! She thought.  
                His eyes narrowed as he studied her. She knew she must sound crazy, but he didn't know better, he had no idea who stood behind him waiting, that one face among the sea of many, watching them and waiting for her.  
               "Alright, I guess, but you promise you'll call?" James finally said.  
               "I will. And thank you again, the flowers really are lovely." She said softly smiling as best she could for him. "You go on, see the picture. I know you were excited for it. I'll never get to sleep, i'll toss and turn with envy." She tried to joke, but neither of them felt much like laughing. She could tell he'd really been looking forward to this and instantly felt horrible for ever getting involved.  
               "Alright. Goodnight then." He said, his wide mouth hinting at a smile. He leaned down and kissed her cheek before putting his hands in his pockets and walking away.  
               She watched him go, knowing he'd be better off if she just left him alone for good. And as he went, head down probably feeling a little blindsided, she watched their shoulders come within inches of one another. As one man went, fading into the crowd, another came into focus. And with the sight, her world began to spin.  
               Cecilia turned away crossing her arms and holding herself tight. She felt suddenly so cold.  
               He'd just been standing there. His clear blue eyes on her as though he'd known she'd be there. How did he find her? Her head was a blur with thoughts as she walked quickly back the way they'd come.  
               She'd sent James away, but it was not an invitation for the other. Still she knew he would come to her. She had only seconds before she would feel his familiar grip on her arm.   
               Ada. Ada told him where she'd be. Cecilia had casually mentioned going to the movie this morning on their walk to the cafe together. She did not think that it would come back to haunt her.   
               She also didnt know that Thomas Shelby had come to Chicago.  
               And then he came just as she knew he would. His warm hand slipping between her arm and body closing around her bicep. She could feel the heat of him as his steps fell in with hers, and all she could do was wait for him to speak because there would be no stopping him now. Not after he'd come all this way.  
               "Hello." He said.  
               Her voice failed her first attempt. Trying again she spoke up the noise. "Hello Thomas."  
               They went on in silence, her not sure where to go, and him leading though he'd never been here before.  
               Finally she turned a corner and took him to the cafe, just as Mrs. Brown was flipping the sign from open to closed.  
               Waving a little to get her attention, Cecilia gave the woman the best face she could, trying not to show that anything was wrong.  
               "Whats going on?" Mrs Brown asked opening the door and letting Cecilia lead Tommy inside.  
               "I wonder, do you mind if we come in for a while?” Cecilia said.  
               "Is everything alright?" The woman asked, her wise old brow raising in suspicion. She eyed Thomas as though he were a stray dog. "You sure you want me to leave you alone?"  
               "I'm sure,"  
               "What happened to that nice black fella you were going to the picture show with? He was sweet, and sweet on you." She added, her hand on her hip.  
               Cecilia sighed and shook her head. "I had to send him home. This is , Thomas... Shelby. Evelyn's father." She said and for the first time since she'd seen him standing in the road, looked up at the man.  
               He was of course staring at Mrs. Brown with that same sort of calculating gaze that he'd given Cecilia when they first met. He could never just meet someone, he'd have to figure out as much about them within the first moments of knowing a person. Survival she guessed, and he’d manage survive with the best of them.  
               Looking back to Mrs. Brown she smiled. "I'd like to talk to him here, if you don't mind,"  
               The look of shock on the old woman's face was slowly fading to understanding. She'd seen Evelyn a few times when Cecilia's mother brought her in, and like many people she noticed the child's light skin, silky waves and bright eyes, but to see the reason for her unplaceable beauty was another thing all together. "Don't want to frighten the child, yes I understand." She said making Thomas narrow his eyes and Cecilia stifle a nervous laugh.  
               "Something like that." She said  
               "Alright, lock up after yourself. And if you need anything, just scream, the cops'll come runnin' you know i've got a nephew on the..."  
               "Thank you for understanding." Cecilia said helping her out the door. She said a few more goodbyes over the woman's curious questioning until she'd gotten her outside and was able to lock the door behind her. She gave a wave and turned, her back resting against the glass eyes shut happy to be rid of her.  
               "You work here?" Thomas asked.  
               She opened her eyes to find him walking around taking everything in.  
               "I do."  
               "Bit of a step down don't you think?" He asked wiping a finger along along the counter rubbing imagined dirt between his fingers.  
               "You've traveled a long way to insult me. Must run in the family."  
               "What's that?"  
               "Nothing" She said shaking her head. "Why are you here?  
               Thomas shifted his weight to his heels and slid his hands in his pockets."I'll let you answer that."  
               "You know I had to leave." She said watching him, her hands pressed between the glass and her back.  
               "Had to, or wanted too?" He asked.  
               "Had too...  
               "No you didn't"  
                She took a breath and then another. She couldn't do this. She could not take this from him, not now, not ever. "I don't know why you came Thomas but nothing would make me happier than to see you go."  
                He nodded though he didn’t care what she said. "I'll go, once you talk to me I'll go."  
               "Theres really nothing to say."  
               “Oh I think there is.” He said. He had her in his sites now and was walking towards her. Cecilia, for the first time wondered if he might actually hit her. He was angry enough, that much was clear.  
               He stopped within inches, his awful glare breaking her down to a small scared thing.  
               “Please” She said said softly and turned her head unable to look at him anymore.  
               Thomas looked her over, his fist clenched at his side, but he just shut his eyes and turned away to go and sit at one of the tables.  
               He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, took a long drag then crossed one leg over the other and rested his hand on the table, the smoke rising in a thin white stream from his fingers.  
               "What happened to wanting to be a part of this?” He started. “You begged me to let you be a part of the business once."  
               "Once, a lifetime ago. I was a silly girl then, i thought it was glamorous and I loved you to much ..."  
               "Loved..." He swallowed hard and took a hit. “Loved..." He said again and raised his brows with what seemed like a passive understanding. ”Then, perhaps I've made a mistake."  
               "Perhaps you have" She lied.  
               Out side people passed and the sounds of the city went on oblivious to the goings on inside the cafe.  
               "Does she know me?" He asked suddenly, his voice clear and powerful in the silent building.  
               Cecilia looked away, a little ashamed. "I thought it better she didn't know. And she's young, she'll have forgotten you by the time she's." Her mouth clamped shut as she realized what she was saying and how hurtful her words must be. Chancing a look at him, she saw what she'd expected. His solemn face was pale in the dark, he’d raised his walls to block her and the truth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”  
               He raised his hand, cigarette still fitted between his fingers. “No, please don’t trouble yourself.” He said and took another drag.  
               “Thomas, I know you to well to think you’re okay with what I just said. It’s just that I have no plans on going back, and i certainly didn’t think you’d come here. I thought it best to let her live a simple life, and when she’s older I’ll tell her who her father is. And then she can decide what she wants to do with that information. Maybe by then, well maybe it wouldn't be so dangerous for her to know you.”  
               He laughed, though nothing was funny “And it’s to dangerous now?”  
               She gave him a look and crossed her arms.  
               “Its changed Cecilia.”  
               “That’s what Ada said,”  
               “She was here?” He asked, genuinely curious.  
               “You didn’t know?”  
               “She’s with me, but no I can’t say that I did”  
               “Well, she’s pretty sly then. Yeah, she was here this morning, told me all about how you’ve changed, but she said she doest know how. Just that you have. And i’m sorry but that’s not exactly good enough.”  
               “I’m not good enough?”  
               She thought about what to say to this before she just blurted out no. “You are, but the life, it’s not. It’s no good for her or for me… or you for that matter but you’re a grown man and theres nothing i can do about that.”  
               She waited for his response in silence, nervously picking at the sleeve of her dress, watching his every move.  
               “Well.” He said stubbing the cigarette out on the table. “It sounds like you’ve really got your mind made up then.”  
               “I do. I’m sorry.”  
               “Don’t be” He said and stood, straightening his suit. “ I’m sorry to have troubled you.” He walked over to her and she could smell him. His scent was good soap and faded smoke, a little of a natural musk and the faintest hint of whiskey. His face was close to hers now, so close that if she wanted to rise up and kiss him, she could. His perfect mouth, pressed hard against hers… it could happen if she wanted. She could change it all right now.  
               “Good bye Thomas.” She whispered and their eyes locked for a moment, their lips coming dangerously close.  
               “Goodbye.” He said leaving her so quickly she stubbled forward.  
               “Oh, one last thing before I go.” He said turning at the door. “I had one more letter for you that I wanted to give you in person. It was never meant to be sent, and I ask that you burn it once it’s been read. Can you do that?”  
               She nodded confused “I can. But what’s in it?” She asked as he flipped the thick white packet across the room. She caught it and looked down at the expensive paper.  
               “You’ll just have to read it and find out. Maybe if you’re fast enough, you can still catch up with James.” He said.  
               Her heart jumped to hear him say the other man's name. Cecilia's eyes shot up just in time to see him go, the door shutting quickly behind him.

**  
               “Winston Fucking Churchill?”  
               Cecilia said the name again quietly not wanting to wake her mother or daughter.  
               She’d read the letter now four times, still unable to believe it. He had personally asked Thomas to aid him in some sort of secret operation not mentioned in the letter, or if it had been mentioned she couldn't make heads or tails of it. Her head was still swimming from the revelation that Ada in her ignorance to the business, but wisdom as a woman had noticed a change in her brother, and she had been right.  
               A gangster Thomas Shelby was is and always will be, but a gangster working for the government is another thing entirely. She was surprised to say the least, she couldn't imagine him becoming an honest working man. But from what she could tell, it looked like he wouldn't have to. In fact his position in the underground made him a perfect candidate for the work Mr. Churchill had in mind. This is why he’d come.  But why couldn't he have just told her, she wondered. Of course the answer was clear. He would never just tell her anything, that was him, that was Tommy’s way.  
               He had to see how she really felt before he gave her the letter. And something she’d said had given him enough hope that he took the chance, and tossed the packet to her. She’d never been any good at lying to him, even over silly things. He knew that she loved him still.  
               Her hand shook as she folded the letter and sat in the dim kitchen.  
               It seemed crazy, but she really could work with this. It didn't mean a completely different life from the one they’d lived before, but it did mean that he was important to the right people. Important enough that men breaking into the house and threatening her child might not happen again. She could demand more security, if they wanted Tommy they could have him, but she would have peace of mind and her family.  
               Tears pooled and spilled as she thought of him traveling all this way to see her again.  
               It could not be ignored that Thomas had taken the time away from his work and a hit to his ever delicate pride to cross an ocean. For what? She wondered. Win her back, prove to her that he was worthy of their child and her love. All of these, she decided with a smile as she brushed the tears from her cheeks.  
       Cecilia sat for a while wondering what she should do next. She wanted to run to him now, but it was near midnight and that was foolish, no matter how much her legs threatened to carry her through the dark Chicago streets. But how would she find him, or even Ada? They both found her so easily. For a moment she envied their talent for finding people, but then she noticed something small written on the back of the folded letter.  
               Two words.The Drake,  
               “The drake hotel” She said her eyes lighting up.  
               She got up from the table and went to the cupboard above the sink. She pulled out a bottle of whiskey she’d taken from the Garrison, what seemed like a lifetime ago and poured her self a little.  
sitting and drinking, she smiled as she realized that as much as she loved him, Tommy had always loved her in return. Things would be different now.

**

               The lobby was breath taking. The palms and windows, gold and fine fabric. The bustle of men pushing ornate luggage carts to luxurious rooms that probably cost more than the dress she wore, swirled around her.  
               Cecilia second guessed her appearance but pushed the thought aside. He didn’t care about that, not on her.  
               Her head high, and her purse clutched tight to her breast in an attempt to steady her racing heart, she made her way through the crowd.  
               She had no idea what room he was in, or where to begin, but he would show up eventually. She knew he would.  
               “Can I help you miss?” A man asked eyeing her slowly.  
               “No, I’m alright, thank you.” She said softly and the man watched her walk away with suspicious eyes.  
               She walked around for a while before she decided to ask for a little help at the desk. The concierge ignored her for a while, until Cecilia, sick of the obvious prejudice stood inches away from the man, leaning over his nice marble counter.  
               "I’d like some help please.” She said, her large eyes fixed on his.  
               The corner of his mouth twitched and he didn’t respond, as though he actually thought she might leave if he didn’t say anything.  
               “I’m here to see Mr. Thomas Shelby. Can you tell me what room he’s in?”  
               “We do not give out information on guest madam.”  
               “I’m sure you don’t and that’s very kind of you, I know that if I stay here i’ll be that my privacy is in your hands. But… if you don’t mind. It’s urgent.”  
               He stifled a laugh at the notion that she might stay here one day and answered the ringing phone.  
               With a sigh Cecilia lowered her heels. As bad as things got in England, it was never like this.  
               He hung up the phone and looked down at her. “There are other guest here, will you please move along.” She glanced over her shoulder seeing no one in line behind her.  
               Eyes narrowed, she imagined wrapping that phone wire around his thin neck. “I will, as soon as you tell me where I can find him, or if he’s even here. You see, he wrote down the name of your hotel and I’m fairly certain that’s because he wants me to meet him here.”  
               “I’m sure if your… Mr. Shelby wanted to meet you here, he would have left a message instructing us to alert him on your arrival.”  
               “Well maybe he did, did you check?”  
               “I don’t have to check madam, I know everything that goes on at my station.” He said and went back to his big book and began writing things down as though this were the end of the conversation  
               “If your intent is to offer poor service, then I must say, you are excelling. In fact I might go so far as to say that you're quite possibly the worst concierge I’ve ever had the misfortune of dealing with. Now I know you wouldn't guess by looking at me, but I’ve got money, money to spend in this hotel. I wonder, how would your boss feel if he knew I walked away and took my money to the Palmer House? Pretty big rival of yours am I right?"  
               The man’s hand slowed until he stopped writing all together, he looked up at her, his black eyes narrowed, his lips pursed.  
               “Right, lets call him over shall we? See what he says?” She said and spun around.  
               “Hello Cecilia. Causing trouble?”  
               Tommy’s voice was distinct and clear, like a trumpeting angel, it was at the moment, the most beautiful sound in the world.  
               He stood a few feet away, one hand resting on the ledge of his pocket. The other as always holding a cigarette. His new black suit fit him to perfection and the gold chain of the time piece he wore caught the light. His smile, though slight, was there, his eyes shone as he looked at her.  
               Her own smile grew wide, and she readied herself to run into his arms, but Tommy held up a hand stopping her and walked over, his slow efficient steps as confident as ever.  
               Oh how she’d missed watching him come to her, she thought with a twinge below her belly.  
               He gave her a quick wink and looked up at the concierge. “Is there a problem?” He asked, his voice low.  
               She watched the other man’s adams apple bob as he swallowed, and his nervous little mouth twitched again before he spoke. “Well, no, no Mr.Shelby. I’m sorry, I didn’t know she was with you.”  
               “She said my name didn’t she?” He rested one arm on the counter, his eyes drifting down to Cecilia.  
               “Well yes, but it’s our policy.” The man said speaking to Tommy's profile as he was more interested in looking at Cecilia than the thin, pretentious fool. "I understand that you are an, important guest." He said, the words a little to tight in his throat."But again, our policy is very clear."  
               “Do I look like a man who cares about policy?” Tommy asked and their eyes slowly met.  
               The concierge shook his head like a child and gave a weak smile in a hopeless attempt to appear innocent. “ I do apologize Mr. Shelby, I ask that you forgive me for the oversight.”  
               Thomas leaned in over his shoulder and said, ”No"  
               The concierge stood up straight, a look of disgust and outrage twisting on face. But, Thomas was a guest and a paying one, and apparently important. "Very well then, what can i do to make it up to you Mr. Shelby?"  
               Tommy cleared his throat and took a pull from the cigarette, the smoke pooled into a cloud around the man's face. "We'd like a reservation for two. Tonight, eight o'clock. Near the windows please." He said and watched what the man was writing in his large book. "A bottle of champagne. The best... On the house." He added.  
               The man looked up and quickly back down unable to face him."Yes, yes of course."  
               "For your trouble" Tommy said and pulled a stack of money out of his wallet and tossed a few bills at the man. "Now Cecilia, I think we need to talk."  
               Her head high and smile wide, she nodded and slipped her hand into the crook of his arm.

**  
               They didn't speak until Thomas shut the door to the hotel room and asked her to sit at the small table.  
               The room was beautiful, though not the best the hotel had to offer. Cecilia thought it was perfect.  
               "Drink" He asked pouring her one without waiting for an answer.  
               She watched him until he sat and then she raised her glass, meeting his with a clink.  
               "Are we celebrating something?" She asked  
               He sat back in his chair and studied her for a moment. "You tell me,"  
               "I think so. But first, I have to know. Why couldn't you just tell me, about Mr. Churchill I mean." She took a small sip of the whiskey.  
                Tommy looked away and smiled. "Does it matter? You're here now."  
               “Alright, but I’m curious, did it go as you planed?" She asked through a wry smile.  
               "Already said, you're here now. Thats all I wanted."  
               She felt heat rush up her neck and spread to her ears. He still had such an effect on her, and to hear that she was all he wanted was enough to make her go hot all over. "Right," She said ignoring the feeling for now. so now what? Would you like to talk about it?” She asked licking the booze from her lips.  
               “About what?” He asked.  
               “My leaving, Evelyn, the time thats passed since I left.”  
               He thought about this for a while, she could see his wheels turning. But then he looked at her and shrugged.  
               “When I said we needed to talk, I didn’t mean about that. I already know everything I need to know about the past, and the past has been dealt with. I was angry for a long time. But as I’m sure you’ve guessed, I’m not angry anymore. And it was never you that I was angry with." He took a sip and a breath before looking at her again. "I love you, I love her. Theres nothing more to say.”  
               Cecilia felt an excited chill dance at the base of her spine. It was surreal to be here with him, in this room hearing him say things she was certain she’d never hear again. At least not from him.  
               “Alright then. What would you like to talk about, tell me Thomas, what do we do next.”  
               This seemed to be his queue. Tommy took a breath and sat up in the chair, he sat the glass down and leaned to his side digging around in his pocket.  
               "Theres not much more to do,” He said as he rummaged. “Than what we should have done a long time ago."  
               She watched him unsure of what was to come, but what he did next was the last thing she'd been expecting.  
               The ring he pulled from his pocket caught the light instantly.  
               She held her breath as he stood and came to her. Reaching down, he took her hand and slid the band, beautiful in its golden simplicity, onto her finger and reached out to place his large warm hand on her cheek as he kneeled down in front of her.  
               And in his true fashion, he didn't ask. He did everything any other man might, but instead he looked into her eyes and said "I want to marry you."  
               "I want to marry you too." She said and a laugh escaped her lips before his mouth met hers.

**

               A long while later, after the glisten of sweat across his back and the sheen between her breast had dried, after they caught their breath and their heart rates slowed, they lay entangled on the bed, one limb beginning where the other ended .  
               The room was peaceful now. Only the faint sound of birds managed to get through the window. Cecilia lay with her head on Tommy’s chest, her lids growing heavy with sleep.  
               All around them lay their clothes, thrown off, tossed aside, pushed down and kicked off in their scramble to touch one another again.  
               Strange how familiar someone you haven't seen or touched in a year can become within moments. She had remembered all the small details of him like she’d never left. A tiny scar here, a freckle there. His naked body was almost as familiar as her own.  
               Smiling against his chest she slid her hand over his stomach to hug him tight.  
               “Here?” Thomas said. “Or back home?”  
                He was finishing a conversation he’d been having in his head out loud like he used to. She raised her head and looked up at him “The wedding?”  
                He nodded.  
                “Why wait?” She asked and smiled. “We already have the child, and I know you better than most brides know their grooms after a lifetime.”  
                “Two days then.” He said  
                “Two days.” She said and laid her head down.  
                Closing one eye to focus on her hand only inches from her face, she looked at the ring he’d given her. It was a lovely yellow gold with delicate floral carvings around the band. Something told her that the ring was not new. He had not gone out and picked it up hoping she might say yes. This was a ring passed down through the family and he’d brought it from Birmingham because she wouldn't say no.

**

               Thomas Shelby had one hell of a poker face. Cecilia could count on one hand the times she'd seen him nervous which made his fidgeting all the more amusing to her.  
               “She’s a two year old girl Thomas, not a firing squad. You’ll be fine.” She said patting his hand as they walked down the street.  
               He gave her a quick glance as they went. “It’s been a long time, and it’s not often a man meets his daughter twice.” He said and cleared his throat, tugging at the collar of his shirt.  
               He was right, it must feel strange to be seeing his daughter again after so long, but Cecilia was sure he would remember what it meant to be a father within minutes of seeing her.  
               They climbed the steps of the old brick building, went down the dark hall and finally came to the small apartment.  
               She could tell he was a little disappointed with where she and Evelyn had been living, but her pride remained in tact. Cecilia been working like most women, and as far as she was concerned, she'd done well for herself.  
               The inside of the apartment would show that.  
               The door opened and her mother Anna stood in the middle of the small living room holding her granddaughters hand.  
               Both grandmother and granddaughter looked hesitant at first, but Cecilia would have none of that.  
               “Mama," She said with a smile, her face as bright as the sun “This is Thomas.”  
               The older woman who shared enough features with her daughter that Thomas saw his future, gave a nod and looked down to the little girl. She gave her a gentle nudge forward. "Go one Evie, it's alright." She said in a soft voice.  
               At almost three, Evelyn was small but had the sort of eyes that showed her intelligence immediately.  
               Tommy, speechless, kneeled down to see her better. The baby was gone and in her place stood a girl, so familiar but so changed. So grown and was so beautiful, he thought she’d break his heart.  
               “Evie, do you know me?” He asked.  
               The little girl looked to her mother who nodded and gave an encouraging smile.  
               She picked at her dress and blinked up at him a few times.  
               “I’m your father” He said  
               She studied him for a bit, all the while walking closer. When she was close enough to touch, he reached out and pushed a few silky strands of light brown hair from her face and felt the impossibly soft skin of her cheek.  
               "I know it's been a while, but I have loved you every day, every minute that you've been away."  
               She seemed to like this and the tiniest hint of a smile dared to show. But she wouldn't be won so quickly. ”Mama" She said looking up at Cecilia "I'm scared."  
               Thomas stood abruptly and took a step back.  
               Cecilia closed her hand over his arm to steady him, "She says that when she's nervous, she's not really afraid of you."  
               His eyes were large with the horrible realization that his daughter might never love him like she would had she been raised with him.  
               "Evelyn." Cecilia said kneeling down. She pulled her daughter close and kissed her head. "This is your papa. You don't need to be nervous or afraid. He does love you, and when you were just a baby he would hold you tight and give you a thousand kisses."  
               The little girl, nestled safe in her mother's arms looked up at Tommy who could only stand like a petrified tree and watch.  
               "Like you" Evelyn said making Cecilia laugh a little.  
               "Yes, almost as much as me. And, he would tell you stories, and sometimes even sing you songs."  
               His heavy eyes looked at her, and his face softened as the memories came back to him as well.  
               "Sing a song!" Evelyn said with a little jump and a perfect grin that made him relax and smile in return.  
               "Now?" He asked  
               "Yes." She said with a firm nod.  
               Tommy looked at the women in the room and cleared his throat. "I dont know if I can"  
               "Yes!" Evelyn said with a clap of her tiny hands "You can do anything!"  
               "She's a positive thinker" Tommy said shooting the laughing Cecilia a look.  
               "Sing. Please" She said firmly.  
               He took a breath and closed his eyes for a moment. "If I do, can you promise not to be afraid anymore?"  
               Evelyn took a step back into Cecilia's arms but nodded.  
               "Alright" Tommy said and sighed.  
               The room was silent, the ticking of the old clock along the wall was as loud as a drum before his deep voice began to softly sing

_Pack up all my care and woe._  
_Here I go, singing low_  
_Bye bye blackbird._

               Cecilia looked up at her mother who watched him with narrowed eyes. She hoped it would work on the older woman too.

_No one here can Love and understand me_  
_Oh what hard-luck stories they all hand me_  
_Make my bed, light the light, I'll arrive late_  
_Tonight_  
_Bye bye black bird._

               "Isnt this song about a prosti..."  
               "Mama." Cecilia hushed her mother, nodding for Tommy to go on.  
               The women listened to him sing, his voice much better than anyone would guess it to be.  
               Cecilia felt a lump growing in her throat as she watched him. His dark suit perfectly pressed, hair in place and blue eyes distant as the song filled the room with a soft sort of vulnerability she'd never seen before. In perfect contrast to the image he tried so hard to present, he began to win his child over, and she swayed to the song, her little head going back and forth keeping time. And Thomas didn’t dare cheat the girl and continued to sing until there was no other sound but him. The city was silent, the clock had stopped, there was nothing but his voice.

_You’d better make my bed_  
_And light the light, I’ll arrive late tonight_  
_Blackbird, bye-bye, goodbye_  
_So long blackbird bye-bye bye_

               Tommy took a breath and opened his eyes looking down at the women he loved most in the world and waited.  
               “Are you still afraid?” Cecilia asked softly wiping tears from her cheeks before Evelyn could see.  
               The girl shook her head a little and pushed her hair back from her eyes to see him better. And in the fashion of a satisfied child, she grinned and went to him as he kneeled down.  
               Tommy carefully pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, the joy of being reunited with his child but the pain of the separation still hurting showed on his face in the worst way.  
                Without a word, Thomas picked her up and walked across the room to the window seat and sat down , her small arms wrapped around his neck.  
               “I’m sorry that we haven't been together for a while. But thats over now” He said “I’m here, and I’m never leaving you.”  
               “Lets give them some time” Cecilia said to her mother as Tommy went on speaking to his daughter. The gentleness in his voice, and the soft cadence of his accent were soothing, to both of them and Cecilia smiled over her shoulder at them before she and her mother went to the kitchen.

**

               "Will he protect you both? Thats what I want to know.” Anna said looking down at her daughter.  
               “Yes, I think he will.” Cecilia said holding her cup of tea in both hands.  
               “Like he did before?”  
               Her mother was a few inches shorter making her look tiny and frail. Anna Clark was anything but. In fact many of the things Cecilia loved about Thomas, she had loved first in her mother. That strong will and fearless determination was something she’d been around her entire life. It only made sense that she would love a man so familiar.  
               “I believe him mama, really. And if I didn’t I wouldn't agree to go back. It wasn't easy to leave.” She said.  
               “No, and that’s why I hate that you’re just jumping right back into the life you ran away from.”  
               “If it’s any consolation Mrs. Clark” Thomas began in the doorway. “I thought you might like to come back with us.”  
               Both women looked over their shoulders at him. Beside him stood Evelyn with a wide smile, her little face beaming as she looked from her mother to her father. She was to small to really understand, but he had clearly won her over.  
               Her arm was wrapped around his leg and her little hand held tight to the fabric of his pants.  
               “That’s kind of you” Anna said, her mouth tight and her eyes still narrowed into shining black slits of doubt and unease “But my place is here. Theres nothing for me in your city.”  
               “There wont be anything for you here once we leave” Cecilia said instantly excited about the possibility.  
               Her mother took a sip of her coffee and sighed. “I’ll think about it.” She said  
               Tommy nodded and reached down picking up Evelyn. “Now, I promised a new dress to our flower girl, and I’ll be damned if she doesn't get it before the afternoon is over.” He said and smiled at her.  
               Evelyn was nodding, her eyes big at the idea. Though Cecilia wasn’t poor, she didn’t have enough money to buy her daughter new things all the time, certainly not brand new dresses she would grow out of within a few months.But this was no ordinary dress, and her father was no ordinary man.  
               "That would be wonderful.” Cecilia said and stood, her hand slipping into his.

**  
               All eyes were on the bride as she and her groom walked through the lobby of the hotel, her arm locked with his.  
               Cecilia wore a white lace dress that hung a little past her knee, the scalloped hem swaying with her steps. Her veil was as light as air, and hung in a delicate embroidered pattern to her ankles.  
               The women that passed her smiled and sighed dreamy eyed with remembrance of their wedding day. And for that moment they only saw a young woman off to marry a man, there was no race or scandal or prejudice there.  
               It was a moment to remember, if only she’d noticed anything other than the way Thomas looked in his new suit and how her heart pounded so loud she could feel it in her ears.  
               Ada followed behind with a small bouquet, Her chest puffed with pride for her brother and the woman he’d chosen to marry.  
               But then, as though struck by a bolt of lightning, Cecilia stopped, her hand to her mouth as she gasped.  
               “Tommy wait! I have to make a phone call.”  
               His worry was ignored and she ran off to the concierge desk.  
               “I wonder if I might use your telephone please.” She asked the man… the same man who two days ago had made it clear what he thought of her.  
               Glancing at Tommy, the man sighed and nodded.  
               “What do you suppose she’s doing?” Ada asked with her arms crossed, bouquet hanging upside down in her hand. “I thought her mother was already there.”  
               “She is.” Tommy said, eyes narrowed as he tried to listen. When she spoke he heard her words and at first was angry, but then realized he could never be angry with a woman as kind as her.  
               “Hello, James?” She said loudly into the phone, “James, it’s me, Cecilia, I need to talk to you but I don’t have a lot of time.”  
               Tommy smiled and shook his head. No use in being angry with a woman nice enough to let a bloke down before she ran off and married another man. It seemed the decent thing to do.  
               A few minutes later she came back sheepishly smiling at him. Tommy kissed her head and extended his arm for her again. “Ready now?” He asked  
               “Ready” She said and together they left the hotel.  
**

               Cecilia's eyes opened slowly, her fingers slid up the back of his neck to the hard base of his skull, softened by the velveteen hair. She bit her lip and her head fell back as she gasped.  
               It was the first time they'd done this as husband and wife. Hard to imagine this was the first of so many to come for the rest of their lives together.  
               Tommy mumbled something as he moved under her, his voice lost in the valley of her heavy breast. His arms held her close as he pushed a little harder longing to be as deep inside as physically possible. She was his and he was hers, there would be no separating them again, and if he had his way, no separating their bodies, not until she was completely spent and the sun threatened to rise.  
               "I love you." She said with a rush of breath as her head came back up and she brushed his lips with her own.  
               He kept going until she shuddered and her thighs pressed in on his. From her perch on his lap, he had to look up at her, and he did, pushing the soft black curls from her eyes. His hands held back her hair and her face for him to look at. He watched the way her lips parted with each breath, and how her brows knitted then relaxed with every thrust. She was more beautiful to him now that she had ever been  
               Tommy smiled and gently pushed her head down onto his shoulder, their arms tight around one another, hips rocking, both verging on climax but neither wanting it to end.   
               And it didn't have to, not now. She would never leave him again. Knowing he could do this whenever she would have him, Tommy closed his eyes and let him self go, pulsing inside of her until his shoulders dropped and she raised her head to look at him.  
               "Whats one when we have a lifetime for more." He said and smiled.   
               Cecilia laughed and gently pulled away. She laid down on the bed, her legs apart for him to see her wet and still ready. " Then whats another?" She asked, her smile making his heart race. "My turn." She said and he smiled too.  
               "Fair enough, Mrs.Shelby."

 

**

               “I can’t fucking believe he went all the way to Chicago for her.” John said swirling his whiskey in a short fat glass. "And brought her mother too." He added, face contorted with confusion.  
               Esme smiled from her place on the steps “I can” She said receiving an eye roll from Polly.  
               “Well, whatever you can or can’t believe. It doesn't change anything for us, or the family. Tommy did what he thought he needed to and we will show him the respect he deserves.” As always Polly’s words were heard and taken to heart.  
               The entire family was together in the Shelby homestead. Scattered around the room, they had assembled like they used to for their family meetings.  
               Thomas was expected home any minute. And his wife along with him.  
               While his actions seemed a bit extreme to them, especially for a woman who had run away, no one ever second guessed his reason why. She had given him a child, and one he loved dearly. He would travel to the farthest reaches of the earth for his own blood and considering his importance here in Birmingham, for them thats just what he’d done.  
               “I dont give a fuck about any of it. I want to know whats next” Arthur grumbled from his seat at the table. "I'm getting bored." His words made John laugh and Polly shake her head.  
               "You should give at least one or two fucks.” Tommy said appearing behind them all in the wide doorway “She’s my wife. That makes her family.”  
                They all sat or stood a little straighter. Polly went to him instantly, kissing his cheek  
               “Welcome home Thomas,” She said and gave him a worried smile.  
               “Hello Pol.” He answered, eyes looking over the faces he’d known his entire life. He loved them all, and they him. And now with his family back together in it’s entirety, he was ready.  
                Ignoring Arthur for the moment, Tommy took a breath and looked them over slowly. “Right. My travels have taken me away for long enough. But I’m back now. Before we begin, theres something that needs to be done.”  
               They all watched in curious silence as he disappeared behind the door frame for a second before walking back, his hand holding onto Cecilia’s. He pulled her close to him and cleared his throat. “You all know Cecilia of course, but I want to introduce you to Mrs. Shelby. She’s proven again and again to be a great asset to the company. And I know, that she’ll continue to do so.”  
               The men looked from their leader to one another.  
               The room was quiet as she waited for some sort of acknowledgment. She had after all known and worked with them for years already. Her nervous eyes fixed on one face and then the other, they were still angry with her for leaving Tommy.  
               Hurt by the reaction, Cecilia shook her head and looked up at him. “Its alright, give them time.” She said softly and smiled.  
              Tommy disagreed completely. Sliding his arm from around her he took a step forward to confront them, but was stopped by Arthur who stood suddenly and approached Cecilia.  
              “I may not always understand him, but I trust him with my life. What’s good for Tommy is good for me, good for us.” He said glancing behind him. He took her hand and gave it a good hard kiss, the bristle of his thick mustache tickling her hand “Welcome to the family Mrs. Shelby.” He said and grinned.  
               She felt her cheeks grow warm and a smile slowly spread across her face. “Thank you Arthur.”  
              “Welcome.”John said with a nod and a raised glass.  
              “Don’t think this changes where we stand.” Polly said coldly, but the facade melted away quickly to reveal a smile and surprisingly kind eyes. The women embraced for a moment causing the men to look at one another, hardly able to believe it. Polly being kind to anyone but them was as rare sight.   
              “I wouldn’t consider it.” Cecilia answered and laughed a little.  
               Tommy had been watching the acceptance of his wife with his back leaned up against the wall. Satisfied with the exchange. He stood up straight and held her face by the chin, kissing her cheek. Then he turned to face them all.  
               Lighting a cigarette he stood, shoulders straight, head held high and spoke. “Now that that’s taken care of. Let’s talk about business.”


End file.
